HART-TNG
by vindictious
Summary: Autumn Delacourt is old enough to make her decision, and chooses the life of a Huntress. She's beginning a journey of discovery of just how much it takes to realize the dream of following in her mothers footsteps. The Next Generation- A continuation of the Team HART storyline, set in the world of Remnant in the future. Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, only my own characters.
1. Chapter 1

Team HART- TNG (the next generation)

Chapter 1

Autumn's Day : A 'coming of age' story and a new beginning.

* * *

In the darkened bedroom a young girl dreams of the past.

The first tantrum when Mommy leaves for a mission, crying herself to sleep and waking to find her father slumbering on the floor by her bed, keeping her company through the long night.

Visiting her uncle's farm to meet her grandparents, followed by a sharper memory of her first adventure on horseback. "I'm as tall as anyone!" she mumbles, turning over under the sheets.

This triggers another vivid dream, riding the shoulders of the (to her) giant soldier Aldus looking down on the upturned faces of his comrades. She giggles in her sleep at the memory of his strained smile as she pulls his ears like reins.

One giant leads to another, her arms straining against the blanket as she tries to lift her mother's sword. Despite her best efforts, her six year old muscles can't seem to move it at all. "This one's a little big for you!" says her mother, sweeping the girl into a hug. "Maybe someday you'll have one of your own."

Someday... someday...someday...

The word circles around in her mind like a bothersome fly, changing into an repeating buzz of the bedside alarm. Hazel eyes open, staring at the clock.

As of seven hours ago I'm officially twelve, she thinks fuzzily.

Today! Now! Her eyes widened as she recalled what this day meant.

A kick of the feet sent the blankets flying to the bottom of the bed, allowing the girl to twist herself off the mattress and land with a flat footed thump on the hardwood floor.

Today's the day!

Dashing down the short hallway, she tossed her t-shirt aside and dove into the shower. A few minutes of hot water and a little soap later, she stood in front of the mirror with a toothbrush in her mouth. A few quick strokes were sufficient to satisfy her.

It's not like Mom is going to check today anyway!

She did, however, take her time dressing. She was sure that many important ( at least to her ) people would be here today and she didn't want to make a bad impression on any of them.

Not today.

The white blouse was carefully tucked into the new pants. She spread her arms over her head, reveling in the feel of the silken material stretching to give a full range of motion. She checked the front and back for wrinkles, knowing Akiko would never let her live down messing up the present on the first day. She ran her hands down the fine leather pants and sent a silent thanks to her Aunt Hart for them. The new boots, courtesy of Uncle Tan, fit like they should. Not too tight to walk, but supporting her ankles and lower legs like gloves. The small wheat sheaves, his sigil, were stitched in silver on the sides.

Taking a white cord from its hook on the back of the door, she bound her dark red hair into a high ponytail in imitation of her godmother, leaving two strands framing her face on each side. These she braided with thinner golden cords, hoping Aunt Akiko would be pleased with the results. Checking the results in the mirror, she took a moment to brush the fur of her Faunas ears again, pulling the fine white interior hairs slightly to lay flat against the red fur of the exterior. She twitched them twice to make sure that the braids would stay in place.

"Honey! Hurry up! They'll be here soon!"

Her mother's voice pulled her away from the mirror and out into the hall, albeit in a more sedate walk this time. Ambling down the hall, she stopped at the kitchen door and peered in.

"Morning Mom! Hi Dad! What do you think?"

Her father set down the napkin he'd been wiping his mouth with and smiled at her display. He turned and winked at the brawny faunas woman holding a plate for the girl. "She does clean up nice, don't she?"

Taking two long steps into the kitchen, Autumn whacked him on the arm with a disapproving look.

"C'mon Dad! An honest opinion please... without the sarcasm!"

Gundar Ulfur crossed his arms and regarded his offspring critically. "Honey, I honestly think you're beautiful. But I'm probably not the best choice for an impartial decision. But since you asked..." his finger thrust toward her waistline, "...your gig-line is crooked. Sergeant-Major'll be all over you for that."

Looking down, she saw that he was right. The line of her shirt buttons led down a full inch to the left of her pants button. Grumbling, she quickly adjusted herself. "Better?" she asked. A final inspection and he pronounced her fit to pass muster.

Flopping into a chair, her hands beat a rapid tattoo on the table. He mother placed a plate with a thick slice of bread smeared with butter and syrup in front of her, then handed over a large napkin.

"Get anything on that blouse, and you know what will happen don't you?", she warned.

Tying the napkin around her neck, the girl nodded agreement.

Akiko will use my butt for target practice!

Spreading out the rest of the napkin on the table, she place the plate squarely in the center before leaning over it. Spreading her elbows, she bit down into the bread.

Her father stood up and walked behind her, delivering a kiss to the temple as he passed.

"It's your day, my girl. Do me proud!"

Swallowing quickly, she kissed his chin before he could straighten. "I will Dad!" she promised.

* * *

Lifting her end of the picnic table with one hand she waited until her father had shifted the other end against the second table before setting it down. Flexing the arm, she patted the raised muscle and grinned at him. "Whattaya think?"

Gundar grinned back at her, not the least amazed at her ease of lifting the solid wood table. She wasn't as bulky as her mother, but she'd definitely gotten her strength from somewhere other than his genes. And despite her young age, she could look him squarely in the collar bone already!

"Impressive!" he admitted, gesturing towards the tablecloths waiting on a nearby chair. "Now let's see you lift those before everyone gets here."

Watching her pat the material into place, he felt a stab of memory, seeing the toddler he'd held... was it only yesterday? Where did those years go? His hand lifted to wipe the wetness from his eyes.

"I'm going to tell Hath I saw you crying." she warned, turning from the table.

"You would too, brat!" He chuckled at her mock severe tone. Her arms went around his waist in a tight hug that he returned with the same enthusiasm.

"I love you Dad!"

Not caring about a wrinkled blouse, he tightened his arms around her. "I love you too, kiddo!"

* * *

The rest of her team arrived just as Renee was laying out the final dishes of food. Hands were shaken, cheeks were kissed, and hugs distributed by the family until everyone had been properly greeted.

Akiko made a show of inspecting the new clothes, making exasperated sounds at the wrinkles on the back of the blouse. She drew back slightly as a finger was waved under her nose.

"Don't you dare say a word, Aunt Akiko! You know full well that you hugged me just as hard as anyone else!"

The woman's raised hand brushed the objection aside. "Oh very well!" The hand dropped slightly to stroke a braid with its golden cord. "Thank you for this, little one." she added in a milder tone. Akiko straightened slightly, gauging the distance down to the girl's eyes. So tall, and still so young. "I don't know how much longer I can call you that. You grow as fast as a weed!"

"Yes'M! Blame my dad for that one! Guess I'll end up as tall as him eventually."

She broke away as the sound of approaching feet marching in time to a whistled military tune caused her ears to twitch in the direction of the road. A broad smile broke out on her face as she whirled to her parents.

"They're here!" she shouted, dashing around the house.

Gundar shook his head ruefully at her reaction. Turning to his spouse, he held out a hand. "Shall we go meet them?"

Renee smirked as she took the hand, following their child at a more leisurely pace. "We better, before she does something we'll regret."

Turning the corner, they saw that their daughter had jumped onto the low wall separating the yard from the road, one hand waving a greeting at the two lines of armored men marching towards her. Gundar quickly moved to the gate, opening it just in time for the older man in the lead to make a right turn, the column behind repeating the movement as each man reached the same spot.

The young girl could barely contain her excitement, jumping off the wall to follow them into the back yard where they halted.

The Ninety Fifth had arrived! Her father's comrades in arms stood in straight lines as the oldest of them nodded to her parents.

Sergeant Major Harper doffed his helmet and winked at her before turning towards his troops.

"Fall out and let's have a party!" he commanded. The others began taking their own helmets off, revealing faces she'd come to know and love since childhood. Unable to contain herself any longer she threw her arms around his armored chest.

"You guys made it!" she cried.

Harper smiled fondly down at her head, gently returning the hug. "Wouldn't miss it for the world!" he assured her.

"Sergeant Major! Is armor really necessary for this?"

Goodwitch's stern voice made them draw apart as the Professor approached. Harper nodded to the older woman before replying. "Yes, Ma'am. In this particular instance, it is." he assured her. His hand rested on the youngster's shoulder. "We're honoring one of our own today."

Glynda rolled her eyes at his comment, then looked down to the girl standing next to him. "Miss Delacourt. I believe we may be ready now. Shall we begin?"Two of the troopers were setting a metal crate next to the table as she led the girl to the center of the yard. "Gather around, please!" she called to the looked down at the expectant face next to her. She wished Ozpin were here to do this, but she knew the words he would have said.

"A moment please, Professor." Harper took two steps to stand at the girl's side. "We have a gift to bestow first." He waved to the platoon's armor specialist

McCoy, who opened the crate and lifted out a metal breastplate decorated with a red, three pointed leaf centered in a round white background. The raised edgeat the neckline bore a tiny replica of the soldier's own insignia. Lighter than her mother's by far, but almost as heavy as the regular trooper armor, it was sized to fit her growing frame. McCoy stepped forward, setting the piece in place as her father stepped behind with the back plate. She heard a light 'click' as the pieces joined together around her, the internal padding distributing the weight across her young shoulders.

"We'll finish kitting you out with the rest of it afterwards." he whispered in her ear before stepping back to join the circle of armored men.

Hand brushing the leaf design, she turned to face Goodwitch.

The Professor's stern face looked down at her. "Autumn Hart Delacourt. Do you wish to become a Huntress?"

Autumn's breath caught for a moment. "Yes Ma'am! I do!" she finally replied.

Glynda looked across to the girl's mother. "Renee? Do you want to do this yourself?"

Renee looked to the woman standing to her right. "Hart? As her godmother, would you...?" The other Faunas touched a hand to her friend's arm.

"Of course. I'd be honored to."

Moving to face the girl, Hart laid a gentle hand on her cheek. "You can close your eyes if you like. Some people prefer to." Feeling the skin beneath her hand tremble, she gave it a reassuring pat to hide her own nervousness. Twelve was too young for this, but it wasn't her decision to make.

Autumn drew a deep breath and decided that closed eyes were the way she preferred it, too. Her mother had explained the ceremony she was about to undergo when the girl had decided a year ago that this was what she truly wanted to be. The words might vary between Kingdoms and regions, but it needed someone who had a personal relationship with student-to-be to perform the awakening of Aura. Souls that touched formed a bond that went beyond death itself and would forever tie the two together.

The person who chose to perform the youngster's ceremony would probably not say the same words that Renee had heard, she told her daughter. None of the people who might take the responsibility had been trained in the kingdom of Atlas. Autumn wondered what form they might take today as her godmother smiled down at her. Trying to relax, she let her eyelids fall and listened to Hart's warm voice.

"For it is in the passing of this sacred duty that we achieve immortality... A soul not bound by death is infinite in breadth. Through this choice you become a paragon of virtue and glory, destined to rise above all others... By my hand I release your soul, and will forever stand by thy shoulder to aid thee!"

The young girl felt something stirring inside her, suddenly feeling lighter and taller than she had. Her heart beat faster and she felt... bigger was the only word that could describe it. She couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face.

So this is what Aura feels like!

Her eyes opened as voices began murmuring around her, seeing her smile echoed on Hart's face.

"Look at yourself." her godmother whispered.

Autumn's raised hands were suffused with an orange glow, the same color as her mother's sword when it was fully charged. Catching sight of her parents over the outstretched fingers, she nearly burst out laughing. Seeing the grip her mother had on his arm and the mixed pain and pride on her father's face was too much to bear so she focused her attention back on Goodwitch.

"Thank you, Miss D'Ore. Please return to your place now and we'll continue." she said, politely dismissing her former pupil. "Now Miss Delacourt, I believe there is something more for you." She stretched her left hand to the side, waiting until McCoy had placed the metal rod he removed from the chest in it before showing it to the girl. Pressure on a hidden button caused it to lengthen dramatically.

Autumns heart sank a little bit. Of all the weapons that were available, a staff was probably not the one she would have chosen first even if it was sized to fit her.

"This weapon is yours until you make one of your own. But first you must find a teacher to help you master it!"

Unsurprisingly, it was Akiko who stepped forward, clasping a hand to the staff. The tiny Huntress faced the line of witnesses. "This is my task! She shall learn the Way of the Fire, and will dance with flames. Her enemies will rue the day that she was born!"

Having seen the petite woman at practice, Autumn could well believe the boast. Her Aunt could create a firestorm or, if she chose, break a concrete wall with a single blow. Placing her smaller hand over Akiko's, she promised to do her best to learn everything she could.

"Of course you will, child." her aunt replied mildly, pulling their hands away from the metal, "Or I will know the reason why!"

Autumn flinched slightly at the steel in the last remark, resolving to never fail in her lessons.

Akiko stepped back as her new student turned back to the Professor whose hand was pressing another recessed button below the first.

Autumn's eyes widened as the shaft suddenly began to shorten, thickening at the middle and base as the upper surface narrowed until Goodwitch held a double-edged sword in her hand. Not so thick and heavy as her mother's, yet not so slim as her godmother's, the blade appeared somewhere in between the two.

"You must also find one to teach you mastery of this weapon." Glynda said, a smile hovering on her lips as the girl stretched a hand out towards the shining metal.

She couldn't bear to wait for her godmother to step forward again, turning her head to search for the woman.

"Haaarrrttt?" she pleaded.

The smile stood out against her new teacher's dark skin as one hand rested on the blade. "Of course I will!" Her smile faded away as she faced the girl's parents. "I will teach her the way of the Point and the Edge, that she may carve a path through her enemies! All that I know, she will learn. By my oath, I swear it!" the Huntress said in a formal tone.

The girl gulped, shocked that Hart had sworn an oath for her sake. She knew how seriously the woman took such words. Steeling herself, she reached out and covered the dark hand with her own. She had to do this right. When her godmother looked into her eyes, she spoke the words from her heart.

"By my oath, I swear that I will learn everything you can teach me!" She resisted the impulse to blink as those green eyes stared deep into her own.

With a small ' ah! ' of satisfaction, Hart nodded sharply before pulling their hands away so Goodwitch could continue. Autumn looked back to the Professor as the other woman stepped back.

Once again the finger searched out a recessed button, the blade extending into a tube again, longer than before though. The pommel of the sword moved at right angles to the grip, sliding backwards to form a brace. A trigger dropped down from the center, a small scope forming on the opposite side.

In a few seconds she held a rifle in her hands, it's shape nearly the same as the sniper rifle the girl's father used. "You must find a teacher for this also."

Her faunas ears twitched to the right, expecting to hear her father's voice but instantly changed direction as another spoke instead.

"Guess I'll do that!" Specialist Hath tossed an offhand salute to his partner, then turned serious as he faced Goodwitch. "I'll teach her the Way of the Marksman, to shoot true and bring death to her enemies from further than they can see!" he promised.

Alright! Even her father admitted that his partner was the best shot he'd ever seen. And to learn from a man who, her father had confirmed, could bring down a Grim from almost a mile away was the best possible thing in the world.

"And... " the armored man continued, "I'll teach her the ways of Silence, so she can move among them as a ghost!"

Again, this was no unsubstantiated boasting on his part. She'd witnessed one of his feats last year, sitting quietly in the tree as he snuck into the middle of a herd of grazing deer. They never knew he was there until, rising up from what concealment he found, he slapped the rump of the dominant buck sending the frightened herd bounding in all directions chased by his good natured laughter.

In all her short life she'd never heard him speak so formally. Her head swam with the opportunity to be trained by a top graduate of the elite Scout/Sniper school in Atlas. Straightening her shoulders, she thanked him as earnestly as she could, striving to keep her voice even.

"And if she loses her weapon?" Glynda asked, handing the re-formed staff back to McCoy.

A tall woman with a mass of blonde hair stepped around the last of the troopers in line. "That one's mine!" she claimed cheerfully.

Autumn's eyes widened as her mouth dropped open.

Yang Xiao Long?! When did she get here? For a moment she felt dizzy as the Huntress stepped up next to her old instructor. The golden alloy of her right arm reflected the sunlight as it swept up, the hand closing into a fist before opening again, palm inward. This was the woman her mother had told her about. The only person in Vale who stood a chance of besting Renee Delacourt in a stand-up brawl. Her Uncle Tan had told her the story of their first match and how this woman had overcome her mother's Semblance with one blow. Was she... ?

"I'll teach her the Way of the Empty Hand! She may not have a weapon, but she'll never be defenseless!" the blonde promised.

The aspiring Huntress closed her eyes tightly. I will not faint!, she told herself. Yang's smile was partly challenging as her eyes opened again. Stepping forward, Autumn raised her right hand to clasp the surprisingly warm metal one. "I won't let you down!" she promised.

Yang pulled gently, appraising the strength in that young arm. "Nah! This should be easy for you!"

The girl suppressed a giggle as one lavender eye closed in a wink. Releasing the girl's hand, Yang turned to Autumn's parents for a double hug.

"Thanks, Yang." Renee whispered. "I know this was short notice, but we appreciate what you can do for her."

Yang stepped back, still holding their hands. "Hey! It's not like she's the only student I'm going to have here. Goodwitch asked me to teach others too. It's not Beacon as we knew it, but it is a start!" The golden hand waved towards the girl in question, now standing next to Goodwitch as the various parts if her new weapon were explained. "Glynda wants them to form teams, and I think she wants to do it the same way we did." Her voice changed, mimicking Ozpin's. "The first person you lay eyes on.."

Ulfur looked on in confusion as his wife guffawed at the memory of how she met her partner Tan

Yang smiled and shrugged at him. "I remember those days too, y'know."

Ulfur kissed his spouse on the cheek as Harper began waving him over. "Excuse me. But it looks like the guys have decided it's time to finish kitting her out," he explained before walking over to his own partner.

* * *

Hart joined them as the two women moved over to the table for drinks. The tall faunas chuckled as the troopers surrounded the birthday girl, hiding her from view. The soldiers had doted on Autumn since she'd been born, claiming her as one of their own from the time she could walk. Turning back to the others, her smile faded at her teammate's serious look. "Something wrong?"

Renee stared into her cup for a moment, lost in thought. "Hart. Tell me truthfully, what do you think of her?" she asked quietly.

The three turned as the crowd around them began to applaud. The troopers had finished with the youngster's apparel and had parted to let everyone else have a look.

Yang's drink landed in the grass as her hand spasmed open. "She's... she's...!"

Hart's eyes were suddenly wet with unshed tears. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment. "Yeah! I see it." She managed to gasp out.

Standing straight and proud in the sunlight, they gazed on a bittersweet memory. With the red hair bound high in the back and the metal band across her forehead, the young girl could have passed for a slightly altered version of their friend Pyrrha Nikos, dead these many years. Only the color of the metal and the details of the armor made any difference at all. The look in the girl's eyes was exactly the same as the Huntress she resembled.

Hart gripped Renee's shoulder. "I do believe she will do well." she whispered.

* * *

A/N:

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Autumn Hart Delacourt."

And the saga continues with a new generation, new ( and old ) characters, and new adventures. Mostly because I wondered what it was like for teams RWBY and HART as they grew up. And for those of you who wonder at the twelve year jump in the timeline : From personal experience I can state that these things can happen. Someday it might happen to you and you will wonder where those years went, just as Gundar and I did. I'm still wondering forty years down the road.

I hope you will follow along as Autumn begins her training, and then enters a rebuilt Beacon Academy. In the not too distant future, four young people will come together to discover that becoming a Hunter or Huntress is full of uncertainties, excitement, and not a little pain.

As Professor Oobleck said : " I am a Huntsman, Ruby, because there is nothing else in this world I would rather be!"

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	2. Chapter 2

HART-TNG

Chapter 2

There is no easy way-

Autumn Delacourt learns that a dream is not achieved overnight. It takes years of hard work to even begin to learn how to be a Huntress.

* * *

The forest had its own noises. Branches knocking together in the breeze, leaves rustling, birds calling in the higher twigs.

The sun danced on the two fingers of stone thrusting up from the soil, the tops towering over the two people standing in front of them.

"What do you see?"

Autumn cocked her head to one side as she studied the granite surface, wondering what this particular training was supposed to be teaching her. "Uuummm! A rock?" A swish of displaced air left her with a stinging sensation in the seat of her pants. She pressed her lips together to keep from crying out as her teacher walked past her, fire-staff resting on one shoulder.

Not fair! I answered the question!, she thought.

Akiko's staff tapped against the face of the right hand stone. "An answer, but not the right one." she said.

Autumn nodded as she rubbed the sting away. Saying anything to the contrary would be plain stupid, and her aunt detested stupid people.

"This is your first opponent." the Huntress continued. "When you can destroy it, we will move on to your next level of training." She stepped back to stand beside her niece. "Form your staff and strike the stone." Her cheeks dimpled between the two golden strands of hairs that framed her face. "Show it who's the boss!"

Autumn shrugged and drew her weapon from its resting place on her armored back plate. Extending it into a shaft of metal, she gripped it at one end. Stepping forward, she swung it like a bat, putting everything she could into the blow.

Pain erupted in her palms as chips of stone sprayed between the trees. Dropping the rapidly vibrating shaft, she jammed her hands under her armpits and performed what her mother called 'The Owee Dance'.

Her aunt erupted into laughter, hand clutching her stomach as she doubled over. When she regained control of herself, she waved a hand at the angry glare being directed at her. "Your face!" The woman chuckled again. "If only I had recorded that!"

"S'Not funny! That hurt!" the Faunas girl growled, wringing her hands.

The Huntress snorted derisively. "This is not pain!" The staff tapped her right leg. "When I was your age, I tore the tendon in this ankle during my training. And I still finished the bout!" She leaned forward, putting herself nose to nose with the angry girl. "That is pain!"

Akiko walked to the stone and placed her palm flat in the ragged channel that had been made by Autumn's staff. The edges were level with the back of her hand. "Not bad... for a beginner!" The Fire-staff came off her shoulder as she faced the second stone. "Observe!"

A half step to the side, a spin.

"HAI!"

The stone exploded, gravel ricocheting off trees as the metal rod drove through it.

Grounding the staff, Akiko regarded the girl coolly. "From now on, whenever we are in training, you will address me as 'Sensei'. Failure to do so is a sign of disrespect and will result in punishment. We will be training every other day until I decide that you are ready. Do you understand?"

Autumn gulped. "Yes, Sensei." Who are you and what have you done with my loving aunt? she wondered.

"Good. Now get down on your stomach and do fifty pushups!"

Pushups were followed by sit-ups, then stretching. The final task was pull-ups, with her staff held by two branches. The sweating girl couldn't find breath to complain, or a reason. Her aunt had performed every exercise with her and hadn't slowed down yet. She was doing her own set of pull-ups, but with only her left hand gripping the staff.

The girl had to pause for breath halfway through. "Aunt... I mean... Sensei?"

Akiko's pace continued as she responded. "Yes, child?"

"Why all the exercises? I'm in pretty good shape as it is."

Her teacher paused at the bottom of her set, both hands gripping the shaft. "You must develop strength... " she swung herself effortlessly into a handstand, "agility, and... " one leg dipped until the foot rested on the metal, the rest of the body pivoting upwards until she stood upright, " balance!" Dropping off the side, she caught the bar with her right hand and resumed her exercising. "When you have mastered these, you will be a far better Huntress than many. And you will need them to face our enemies. There is more to what we do than just bashing things. You will also be studying to improve your mind. Be prepared to wake early and go to bed late! Enough loafing, get back to work."

Autumn sighed and pulled herself up again. This wasn't the adventure she'd been expecting, and she still had to deal with her first fencing class!

* * *

Puffing a bit, Autumn paused inside the door of the training salle that Hart had set up. The hopeful smile began to slip away under her godmother's steady gaze. "Am I late, Aunt Hart?"

"No, you're not. And that will be the last time you call me 'Aunt' inside these walls.

Autumn felt her hopes sinking. Here we go again!

"From now on, you will refer to me as either Miss D'Ore, or 'Master'. You will be training here every other day, the only excuse for not being here that is acceptable is if you are deathly ill!" She paused for a moment, apparently waiting to see if there was any response to that remark. Autumn bit her lip, wondering if she was ever going to be allowed to rest.

"The sword is not the weapon!" Hart stated, tapping the side of her head. "This is! You will learn many things here besides how to use a blade. Metallurgy, history, and tactics will all play a part along with other subjects over the years. At times I will send you to learn from others that I think have something to teach you. Do you understand what I have said?"

The girl nodded vigorously. "Yes, Miss D'Ore!"

Hart sighed as she drew Oathblade. "Somehow I doubt that you do, but we all must begin somewhere." The blade moved to a guard position. "Draw your weapon and strike me."

Autumn blinked in surprise. "Er..What?" She yelped as the flat of the sword slapped hard against her leg.

"Are you deaf? Strike me!" The blade slapped the other leg, harder than the first.

Confused, the girl darted out of range and drew her weapon. Her lips trembled as she gripped the hilt uncertainly. Why is she doing this?

The older woman's lip curled into a sneer. "Has my friend bred a coward? STRIKE ME!" she roared.

The girl swung her sword up and charged forward screaming incoherently. Oathblade twitched upward, easily pushing the heavier sword aside as Autumn ran into the balled fist that Hart swung at her stomach.

Her teacher's voice filtered through the pain as she lay curled on the floor.

"The Grim will tear you apart if you hesitate. Dark Hunters will slice you to ribbons if you are not willing to do what it takes to stop them. Criminals will shoot you in the back if you give them the chance. Those weaker than you will perish if you do not fight well enough to keep them from harm. This is the reality. This is what it means to be a Huntress. I am barely thirty years old, yet have spent half my life in battle and been touched by Death once already. There is pain as well as joy in what we do, god-daughter mine, but there is nothing more in life that I would rather be than the protector of my people." A hand gently caressed her hair. "I will teach you all that I know, because I love you and want to see you live a long life. There will be pain, but it will lessen as you learn how to avoid it. There's a lot of knowledge to absorb, but I have watched you since the day of your birth. I know you can do it." The hand withdrew. "Rest for a moment, then we will begin."

* * *

Everything hurt the next morning. Muscles she didn't know she had were tight little balls of pain. The sun was just rising as she gingerly toweled herself off.

A gentle tap on the bathroom door startled her for a moment. Her mother's voice was muffled by the wood.

"Hurry up, honey. Your father is waiting to take you to the rifle range."

Sighing in resignation, she turned to the pile of clothing. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the shirt over her head. I don't know if I can survive any more exercising.

Hath waved a friendly greeting from the wooden table next to the firing line as she stepped out of the car. Ulfur waved back before driving away, leaving his daughter reflecting on his prediction that this was going to be an interesting day.

Setting the newly formed rifle on the table, she held her arms out for their usual hug.

"Nope!" He pointed to the triangular red cloth waving at the top of the flag pole. "When that's up, you are in class, little girl. From here on out you are the student, a recruit in need of guidance. I'm not 'Uncle Hath' until we're done here. While you're in training you call me 'Sir'. What you choose to call me afterwards is up to you. Understood?"

Dropping her arms, she straightened her spine. She could play this game! "Yes Sir!"

Picking up the rifle, he examined it meticulously. "What caliber is your weapon?"

Autumn wilted a bit. "Caliber?" She barely managed to catch it as it was flung at her chest.

"Left hand on the fore-stock, right hand behind the receiver. Hold it at a forty-five degree angle across your body!" he ordered.

She looked helplessly at the metal in her hands. "Fore-stock?"

Hath's head dropped into a waiting hand. "I swear I'm going to have a little talk with your father about the state of your education to date!" he mumbled. Straightening, he pointed towards the table. "Place your weapon there and step back."

Gingerly, she placed it as ordered and stood, waiting nervously for the next confusing words. His hand touched the area directly in front of the small magazine.

"Fore-stock." He continued along the length of the weapon, naming every part as he came to it. When he'd finished he stood in front of the girl with his arms crossed.

"Your weapon means life and death. Life for your friends, death for your enemies. Shoot straight and you all live. Miss, and someone you care about will die! This is not some game where everyone gets up afterwards and goes home. We are the protectors of our comrades, of our people. We work as a team, relying on each other to stay alive." He waved a hand in the air. "I know there are Hunters and Huntresses who decided to go it alone in the world, and most of them are dead now. Our enemy changed and they didn't." His finger poked her in the chest. "You will learn how to adapt, to survive where others have died. Otherwise everything you learn will have been wasted." Hands on hips, he stared down into her upturned face. "Do you understand?"

She gulped nervously. "Yes Sir."

"Good. Now recite the parts of your rifle to me."

Obediently, she raised her hand and let it trace the same path his had along the metal, reciting the litany of parts. When she finished, he nodded sharply.

"Good enough for a start." He lifted a set of calipers from the table and tossed it to her. "Now, since McCoy didn't see fit to tell either of us just what it was he made for you, let's find out what caliber this thing is!"

She paused for a moment, instrument hovering over the barrel. "Sir? Are we going to shoot today?"

Hath snorted. "You ain't shooting for a while yet, girl! When you can tell me what every part of this here rifle is and what it does, then you'll be ready to learn about aiming and controlling your breathing. Once you know how to do that, you can learn the math for figuring the flight of the Dust round, and all the things that affect it, and what round is best for what you plan to do. Get that into your head and we'll see about shooting for the first time. After about a thousand rounds at short range, you can learn more math for figuring the long-range shots."

She stared into the distance, trying to take in all that he required from her. "How long did it take you to learn all that stuff?"

He grinned at the question. "Two years. And two more years of constant shooting to get really good at it. I've probably fired about a million rounds since I first learned how." Hath scratched at his chin absentmindedly. "I quit counting after the first thousand Grim I killed. The numbers don't matter anyhow. Seems like there were always more of them coming along trying to kill my buddies."

She stared at the rifle barrel, thinking about what Hart had said the day before. "How many... friends didn't... ?"

Hath sat heavily on the bench. "Six." One hand brushed absently across the bridge of his nose. "I made six mistakes in eight years, and six men didn't make it home. Everyone said it wasn't my fault, that you can't be ready for everything that can happen. But I remember their faces and names, and how I didn't keep them alive." Clearing his throat, he stood again. "I'm gonna teach you everything I can so you can keep your friends alive, girl. But be ready for the day when things go wrong, 'cause it'll stick with you for the rest of your life!"

Fear of failure made her resolution to become a Huntress waiver. Her stubborn inner nature came to the rescue, however.

My mom did it. So can I! The thought stiffened her resolve. "Okay. I'll do my best to learn everything." She turned and held out the instrument. "But first you're going to have to show me how to use this thing!"

"That's the spirit!" Hath said, taking the calipers from her. Moving to the end of the table, he began explaining how to measure the inside dimension of the barrel's muzzle as Autumn leaned over to watch.

* * *

Yang was waiting for her when she finished. Seated on a yellow motorcycle, the blond waved gaily. "C'mon! We're going to the beach!" she called.

When Autumn had seated herself, Yang passed a small helmet back to her. "Gotta be safe, girl. Wouldn't want anything to happen to you... yet!"

As she settled the helmet in place, the youngster felt she was missing something here. What the heck did she mean by 'yet'! The answer came moments later, as Yang cranked the accelerator as far back as it would go. Clutching desperately to the woman's belt as they roared out of the parking area, she couldn't see the grin on her tutor's face.

A short, and entirely too fast by Autumn's estimation, ride ended where the pavement turned to sand. Sun sparkled waves crashed on the golden sand, leaving a darker swath as they receded.

"Leave your staff here. You won't need it." Yang told her. Leaning it against the motorbike, she copied her tutor's example, hanging the helmet off the other handlebar. Stripping off the half-skirt and jacket left the brawler in black shorts and a tee shirt. Yang draped them over the seat before leading the girl down to the edge of the water were the sand was firm.

Hands on her hips, the older woman glanced down at her. "We're going to do some running to start." she explained. "You need to build up your stamina, but I'll take it easy on you at first. We can talk while we run, so if you have questions feel free to ask. Okay?"

The girl nodded, but held up a hand. "Is there anything special I should call you?" she asked hesitantly.

Yang struck a pose, the golden hand forming a fist in front of her scowling face. "Call me "Mighty Xiao Long, Queen of all she surveys!" A grin split her face as she lowered the arm. "Or Yang... whichever is easier!" She bopped the giggling girl gently on the head. "Let's hit the road. We've got a couple of kilometers to cover."

Curiosity overcame her halfway down the beach. "Yang? Did my mom really beat you the first time you two sparred?"

Yang held up a finger. "Yep, but only the first time." She grinned at the memory. "I was kinda predictable back then and she took advantage of it. But afterwards, we were pretty evenly matched. She taught me a few moves I hadn't thought of, and I did the same for her."

Autumn ran quietly for a few moments, trying to keep pace. "She taught you something?" she finally asked.

"Yep, sure did!" Memory of a blow being deflected in a surprise move made her grimace. "She taught me that being bulky doesn't mean you're slow. And never underestimate your opponent, cause each one is different!" Her lips pursed for a second. "Nobody's shown you anything about your Aura yet, have they? Like how to focus it to absorb or strengthen a blow?"

The girl's stomach twinged in response to the question. "No, not yet." And I wish they had!

"Okay, then! When we finish our run, we'll start with that. Some of the things I'm going to show you can cause some serious damage to yourself if you're not prepared for them." she warned.

Autumn gulped at the thought. What the heck is she going to teach me?

* * *

Days seemed to last forever as her training progressed. The exercises seemed endless as her body struggled to keep up. By nightfall she could barely crawl under the sheets.

Two weeks into the program each of her teachers handed her a book, parts of which needed to be read every night. A week later she was given her first homework assignments and sent home early. The simple joy of not doing something physical was crushed by the struggle to assimilate the information before the next day.

By the end of the first month she felt sure that she wasn't going to make it any further. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to make any progress. Her mind seemed to overflow with everything they were trying to teach her, and nobody could be pleased. Either her balance was off, or she forgot part of an equation, or her timing didn't quite match her opponent's. Her frustration grew daily.

The first Saturday in her fifth week came to be the lowest point ever. Yang seemed disappointed when Autumn turned down a ride home, preferring instead to walk the distance by herself.

Stacking her armor in the cabinet by her bed, she shut the door firmly, wondering if it would be worthwhile to open it again come Monday morning. Throwing herself onto the bed, she curled up in a tight ball of childhood misery and closed her eyes.

A few minutes passed before the bedside sank enough to roll her over, bedsprings complaining. She thudded gently against a warm body before reaching the edge. Only one person could make that big of a dent in the firm surface.

"Hi Mom." she murmured, suddenly thankful for the company.

"Hi yourself! You're awful quiet tonight." Renee said softly. "Tired?"

The girl snuggled into the warm comfort. "Yeah. Like every day, it seems." She raised her head, searching her mother's face. "Did you have to go through this too? I mean... I dunno if I can explain it..."

Renee stroked her daughter's hair. "Well, mine wasn't quite the same. I was fourteen when I started classes." Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, so was everybody else. Except for... "

Autumn's curiosity was aroused now. "Except for what?"

Her mother looked at her young face for a moment, then nodded solemnly. "I'll show you. Come with me!"

Leading the way to the living room, she retrieved a large scrapbook with a torn cover from the bookcase. With both of them seated on the couch, she talked while flipping through pages of pictures.

"Out of everybody at Beacon, there was only one person who started her training as young as you. She became one of the most promising students the staff had seen in a long time. I know I could never beat her! No matter how hard any of us tried, she was just too good for us." The pages stopped moving as the woman gazed at one photo filling half a page. A younger Renee with her arm around the shoulders of another girl, standing in a group. Almost reluctantly, her finger slid across the frozen image to rest on one smiling face . "That's her."

Autumn studied the face of the human girl. Flame red hair piled in a high ponytail and sea green eyes. Something about what she was wearing looked familiar. "Hey! Her armor looks like mine!" Gripping the edge of the book, she leaned closer for a better look at the figure. "Who is she?"

She was startled by her mother's sudden sniffling. Tearing her eyes away from the picture, she was astounded to see her mother crying.

" Pyrrha Nikos. She was my friend!" Renee choked out finally, wrapping her daughter in her arms. "And I miss her!"

Disconcerted and a little frightened, Autumn hugged her mother as tight as she could until the crying tapered off.

"I'm sorry, honey." Renee wiped her eyes. "Sometimes it catches me off guard. Remembering things from that time, and how much we lost."

Autumn closed the book gently. "I guess I don't understand. Was she really that special?" Her finger traced the edges of a ragged tear on the cover.

"Yes, she was. Pyrrha was born to be a Huntress. She started her training early, and by the time she was seventeen she'd won the championship in Mistral." Renee smiled, and hiccupped. "She just had it all. Strength, balance, eye-hand coordination you had to see to believe! She could face four to one odds and come out the winner. Even Tan's Semblance couldn't beat her."

Autumn frowned. "Uncle Tan? What's his Semblance like? Is it like yours?"

Her mother laughed as she dabbed at her eyes. "Not at all, thank goodness! No, his was... different back then, in a really terrible way."

Autumn listened in fascinated horror as her mother related the story of how Pyrrha had overcome the monster that her loving Uncle Tan had hidden inside him. She shivered as the climax was reached, when Nikos had to nearly kill him to stop the madness.

Curiosity won out over the fear. "Jeez, Mom! How strong is his Semblance?"

"Well... !" Renee pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "There came a day when he used it to save all of us, and it nearly killed him."

The girl's eyes widened as her mother related the story of how they'd faced thousands of Grim, her team and four of their friends in a battle they all knew couldn't be won. But her Uncle had made the decision to sacrifice himself to give the rest of them a chance to escape.

But Renee had chosen to stay, along with another girl, in hopes of helping him. With the aid of a sniper rifle in the hands of his girlfriend, Tan had been the victor. But his life had hung by a very thin thread for nearly a week afterwards.

Her mother tapped her lips. "I wonder if Ruby still has that locket?"

Autumn flipped the book open once more, staring at the picture. "And he couldn't beat her." she whispered.

Renee hugged her daughter closer while gazing at the photo. "She was special. Strong as she was, she was also one of the most caring people I have ever known. It's no wonder Jaune loved her."

"Jaune?" Her mother pointed towards another face in the crowd. She scrutinized it for a moment before turning to her parent. "Umm... He kinda looks like a dork!"

Renee shrugged and smiled lopsidedly. "Kinda. But he had a heart as big as the world. Nowhere near her level of competency, but he never gave up either! He was a brave man, even when he lost her he kept going."

The girl closed the book again, this time with a deep sigh. Her mother gave her a worried look.

"Autumn, is there something wrong?" she asked. The small hand closed into a fist on the tattered cover.

"Mom... it's so hard! I don't know if I can do this." She turned a troubled face upwards. "Is everyone expecting me to be her?"

Pulling the book from her lap, Renee set it aside and wrapped her arms around the girl. "They don't. It was hard for all of us in the beginning. My instructors weren't exactly gentle with me either. They wanted us all to know what kind of life we'd chosen. Everyone is teaching you in the same manner they were taught. The only difference is your age. Hart and Akiko have never taught anyone before this, and I doubt Hath has ever taught anyone younger than eighteen. Yang taught her sister a few things, but that was just helping her out and not in a classroom. All of them are worried because they want to get it right for you." She lifted Autumn's chin with a finger until she could see her face. "Don't fret about trying to be someone else, love. Just be you! If they say or do something you don't understand, ask them to explain it. You'll learn more that way."

The girl leaned her head against her mother's shoulder. "I hope they're ready for a lot of questions then! I'm not very good at things like math, or metallurgy!"

Renee shifted slightly, draping an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Honey, you need to make better use of your resources."

Autumn's face grew puzzled as she looked up. "Resources?"

"I'm not very good with math either, but I'm a pretty good historian. Your dad knows all the math for shooting, and Akiko is a math whiz. Tan and McCoy know all about metallurgy. Harper, Tams, and Chance can teach you everything about leading others. Everyone you know has some sort of skill. You just need to ask them for help!"

Her daughter's face brightened. "I can?"

Renee stoked her hair. "Of course you can, silly!" She gripped the girl's chin and gently shook it. "They're probably wondering why you haven't! I know your dad certainly is."

Autumn felt like a load of stone had been lifted off her shoulders. Throwing her arms around her mother, she hugged as tight as she could. "Thanks, Mom!" Vaulting over the back of the couch, she trotted down the hall to her bedroom.

She couldn't wait for Monday to get here.

* * *

A/N : When I was eleven, I shot my first bow. Somehow the arrows never seemed to go where I wanted them to, even though it was a measly ten pound draw. By eighteen I could draw a one-hundred pound longbow with reasonable accuracy.

At eighteen, I learned how to rappel off a cliff. It was terribly difficult the first few times, being a very long way down with a sudden stop at the bottom. Within three months I was laughing as my friends and I raced down a hundred foot cliff with wild abandon.

If it means that much to you, follow your dreams and never give up. Practice something and you will get better at it, and if life gives you a cliff... just make sure your rope is tied to something sturdy before you leap.

And... yes! I miss Pyrrha too.

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	3. Chapter 3

HART-TNG

Part 3

Future imperfect-

A new student comes to Vale, bringing new problems for Glynda and her crop of young teachers.

* * *

Autumn stood in front of the mirror, absently running a thumb over the curved metal of her brow armor. Raising her eyes, she gazed at her reflection. "Let's get one thing straight." she told herself, "You're not her, and you might not ever be. But you can try! You can be as strong as your mom, as smart as Akiko, as brave as Tan!" Slipping the metal protector over her head, she picked up her staff and converted it into its sword form. "I can be as true as Hart, and as good a shot as Hath!" Clipping the weapon onto her backplate, she turned to the mirror once more. "I'm gonna learn it all, or die trying!"

She paused halfway to the door, then leaned backwards until she could see herself again. "Let me rephrase that!" she said, raising a forefinger. "Learn it all... no dying involved! Mom would kill me!" Nodding at her reflection, she continued out of the room and off to her first class of the week.

Days passed quickly as the young Faunas dove back into the classwork. She worried at first that all the questions she had might be annoying her teachers. Yet even that had passed as they patiently explained why she had to learn one thing to be able to understand another. What had been impossible a few weeks before became a great deal easier as her understanding grew along with her physical abilities.

In her fourth month of training, her father took her to the Ninety-Fifth's base by the docks. He needed to do some paperwork there, and McCoy's workshop was always her favorite stop.

The Armorer smiled at her as she entered the building that housed the fabrication machinery needed by his trade. "Hey kid! Good to see you again!"

A quick hug followed. She stepped back and looked up at him. "Got a question, Mac." She pulled the staff from its place on her back and held it out. "Can we make changes to this?"

McCoy scratched one cheek as he appraised the device. "What kind of changes?" he asked suspiciously.

She pressed a hidden button, allowing the staff to reform into her sword. "Well... for one thing, it's too slow changing forms! When I need to shoot something, I'm gonna need that rifle right then. Not two minutes later!"

"I was wondering when you were going to notice that!" he retorted. "And your folks keep going on about how smart you are, too."

Reforming the staff, she ignored the jibe and held it out to him. "How about it? Can you make it faster?"

Folding his arms, the soldier shook his head. "Nope!" He tried not to smile as her face fell. He waited a moment just for effect, then pointed at her. "You are going to do it!" Autumn's face lit up as he turned towards the workbench, motioning her to follow. "High time you learned how it all works anyway!"

Trying very hard not to squeal in delight, she followed him.

* * *

Renee was washing dishes, peering out the kitchen window as she watched her daughter practicing in the yard.

The staff whirled about the girl's body, striking crude blows at invisible enemies. Suddenly she held a sword, blocking high and low before stabbing forward. Light glinted off the blade as she attempted to control the direction of her attacks.

Still needs a lot of work on her balance, her mother noted as the staff appeared again. Slipping it onto her back, Autumn took two steps forward and leapt into the air. Landing on the trunk of a large tree, she back-flipped off and landed where she'd started. Dropping down, she swept the legs from underneath another imaginary opponent before leaping upwards into the branches. A muffled cry of pain came through the window as one of the higher branches shook violently.

Her mother smiled at the sound. Her daughter had just learned another important lesson, and better a lump on the head during practice than in real combat!

* * *

"Hey big fella! R'You Hath?"

From his post as the compound's main gate, Aldus looked around, wondering who in the passing crowd of shoppers might be addressing him.

"Down here, big jobs!"

Tilting his head forward, he discovered a short Faunas boy glaring up at him from waist level. A scrawny hand raked bleached blonde hair to one side, flipping a dangling rabbit ear with it. An axe almost as big as the youngster was strapped across the back of his worn overalls.

"Y'All blind or sumpin!" the boy demanded angrily.

Some days, Aldus thought, being a big man had its drawbacks. From his tone, the boy had a chip on his shoulder the size of a tree and had a problem dealing with people bigger than him.

Removing his helmet, the towering soldier tried smiling, hoping to defuse the situation. "My apologies, young man. How may I help you?"

The kid stepped back a pace, relieving the growing crick in the soldier's neck. "Ah'm supposed to meet a feller here, goes by the name'a Hath. Y'all him?"

Aldus shook his head. "No. But if you give me your name I will let him know you are here."

Hostility flared again in the boy's eyes, his hand slashing the air between them. "Nope! Ya can't have it! It's mah name and I ain't givin' it ta no-one!"

Aldus blinked in confusion. "Sorry... I don't understand,"

The boy stamped his foot angrily, a broken shoelace flopping in the air. "If'n ah give you mah name, what the heck'm ah' s'posed ta call me?!" A hand slapped against the skinny chest in punctuation.

The big man forced himself not to laugh at the situation, taking a deep breath to contain himself. "Ah! I see the problem now." he said politely. "Let's try that again. Will you- tell -me your name so I can tell Corporal Hath who you are?"

"Tarnation! Why'nt yah say that inna first place?" The boy tugged his ragged shirt straight. "Name's Oakley, Persimmon Oakley. Perfesser says I's ta come a 'prentice fer this here Hath, fer ta learn how's to be a Hunter!"

Aldus frowned, puzzled by the boy's words. He'd always had problems deciphering regional accents and this child's drawl was thick enough to use as syrup. "This 'Perfesser'... was she a tall lady, blonde hair?"

Oakley nodded. "Yup! Carried a little stick she likes t' swing around. Shore seemed like she wanted to beat someone with it. Name 'a Goodywitch, or suchlike."

Aldus glanced nervously at the crowd around them, praying that Goodwitch was still in her office. How had this kid survived meeting her? Satisfied that his commander was not in earshot, he nodded to the boy. "One moment, please, and I will alert Hath." Replacing his helmet, he flipped the microphone into position. "Corporal Hath? There is someone to see you at the front gate." He waited a moment for the message to be automatically routed to the proper scroll.

A few seconds later the Corporal's voice came through the earpiece in his helmet. "Thanks Aldus. The Professor said she was sending a student down to us. I guess I should have warned you earlier."

Aldus grimaced. "Yes, you should have. And good luck with this one! Aldus out." Doffing the helmet again, he smiled at the kid. "He will be here shortly. I'm sure that you two will get along like a house on fire!" Lots of screaming and mad dashing about, he thought to himself with a repressed chuckle.

A few minutes later, Hath stepped through the gate. Oakley peered around the giant soldier and looked at him critically. "If'n you be Hath, then the Perfesser lady wuz tellin' fibs. You ain't half as big as she made y'all sound like!"

Hath's face took on a confused look. "Oh? And just how big am I supposed to be?"

The boy hooked a thumb at the man next to him. "Way she tells it, you be as big as this'ere fella!"

The Corporal looked up at the silent giant who was struggling to keep a grin off his face. "Really? Didn't know she thought so highly of me," he said dryly. Looking back down, he crossed his arms. "The Professor told me she was sending me someone to train, so we're going to start with a little something called 'manners'! Have you said "Thank you' to Aldus yet?"

"Huh? Fer why?"

Hath thought the boy looked genuinely puzzled by the question. Who raised this kid? "For helping you find me is why. Good manners don't cost a thing, and they pay off by making people feel good around you," he explained patiently.

Oakley perked up. "Gotcha! Kinda like the whole catchin' flies with honey n'steada vinegar thing!"

Hath smiled, amused at the more rural explanation. "Exactly!"

Turning to Aldus, Oakley craned his head back. "Thanks fer callin'm! Much 'preciated!"

Doffing his helmet once more, Aldus smiled down. "You are welcome, Master Oakley. Good luck with your studies!"

A few yards down the path, Oakley looked back over his shoulder. "He's purty nice fer a big fella," he remarked.

Hath grinned at the boy. "Yes, he is. And a good friend too." Dropping a hand to a skinny shoulder, he turned towards the mess tent. "Let's see about some lunch before we get you situated, okay?"

The boy rubbed his suddenly growling stomach. "Yessir! So what'a I needs ta' be doin' ta' earn it?"

Hath's brow wrinkled as they entered the mess hall. Taking two trays off the rack by the serving line, he handed one to his newest student. "Earn it? Explain what you mean by that, please."

Oakley held the tray in front of his chest, almost defensively. "Uncle Peach wouldn't gimme no food 'til I did all t' chores 'round t' house first. Tole me I hadda earn my meals when I come t' live by him after Ma and Pa died." he explained quietly. "Wood chopped, winders washed, pigs gotta be fed, all thet there stuff." His fingers flexed on the metal. "I hadda do all 'a work afore gettin' even a single bean."

Hath set his own tray on the serving line, then squatted down until his head was level with the boy's. "Well now, youngster, all you have to do here is learn everything you can. You go to classes and try your hardest and I'll see you get fed three times a day." He held out his hand. "Deal?"

The Faunas stared suspiciously at the hand. "Really and truly? Ya ain't fibbin me? Jus' learnin' stuff?"

Hath grinned at him. "Well, I won't say it'll be easy. But if you're willing to try, we'll do our best to get you ready to be a Hunter."

Persimmon gulped as he reached for the extended hand. "Yessir! Ah kin do thet! Thankee sir!"

Gently disengaging his hand from the boy's excited handshake, he rose and turned towards the man waiting patiently behind the long counter. "Mister Padauk, what would you recommend for a hungry young man?"

Padauk's red face split into a wide grin. "Got just the stuff! Big helping of stew and fresh bread, slice of pie for dessert and as much milk as he can hold!"

"Set us up then!" the soldier responded before turning towards the frantic tugging on his blouse. Oakley stood on his tiptoes, putting his mouth next to the man's ear.

"What's a day-sert?" he whispered.

Hath patted the boy's shoulder sympathetically. "Best part of the meal, kid. You'll love it!"

Oakley settled back down as his tray was filled with the dishes handed across the counter. Padauk pointed a big serving spoon at him. "You come back for seconds if you're still hungry, okay?"

The young Faunas looked like he was going to burst into tears as he replied. "Yessir! Thankee kindly!"

The spoon swung at Hath. "Well? Don't just stand there!" the cook said in a loud voice. "Go get that kid fed! I didn't spend my time making that food just so you could just stare at it!"

The soldier neatly sidestepped the swing. "Yessir, Mister Padauk sir! Anything you say sir!" Grinning down at the boy, he jerked his head towards a nearby table. "C'mon kid. Let's do as the man says."

Hath sat quietly as the boy finished mopping the last of the gravy from the bowl with a slice of bread. He was amazed at how much the skinny body could hold, having seen two bowls of the stew, half a loaf of bread, and two slices of cherry pie disappear in the space of twenty minutes. Setting down his coffee, he leaned forward as the Oakley chewed in contentment.

"So, Oakley, where did you leave your luggage? We'll pick it up before heading to the barracks."

The Faunas frowned at the man as if he was speaking a strange language. "What's a luggage?"

Hath blinked in bafflement. "Bags? Extra clothing? Personal effects?" he asked, hoping the kid would recognize one of the words.

Skinny shoulders raised and lowered in a shrug. "Ain't got none o' them things."

The Corporal sat dumbfounded for a moment. "You came all this way without a change of underwear even?" He sat back and ran a hand over his face. "What the heck were you thinking?"

The boy squirmed in his seat. "Letter done said I's supposed ta' get things when I'd got here!" He pulled a crumpled paper from his pocket and smoothed it on the table. He pointed to a paragraph near the bottom.

Hath spun the letter around and scanned it quickly, his mouth tightening as he began to understand the boy's expectations.

'The school will see to your daily needs from the from the funds deposited on the student's behalf.'

His hand went to the scroll at his waist before he finished the sentence. Luckily his commander's number was in the speed dial. One finger tapped the letter impatiently as the call went through.

"Professor? Corporal Hath, Ma'am. I've just had a discussion with the student you sent to me and there's a question about funding that came up."

Glynda's irritated voice spilled out of the earpiece, loud enough for the student in question to hear. "Yes, Corporal Hath. There's a problem that I wasn't aware of when I sent him to you. It seems that the young man's uncle died the day after the boy left. He was deeply in debt and the courts seized the money that was supposed to be used for his nephew's education! Now he's come all this way and has nothing!"

Hath looked over at the wide eyes staring at him from the other side of the table. "So, what's going to be done for him then?"

"There's nothing I can do for him. I don't have any extra funding from Vale for this kind of situation," she explained in an exasperated tone. "As he's underage and has no living relatives, he'll most likely have to go to an orphanage until he's old enough to live on his own."

Hath's face hardened into granite at the boy's troubled face. "No!"

"Corporal, I don't have any option," she answered, her voice hardening at the refusal.

"No! I won't let that happen!" He reached across the table and gripped a thin hand. "I've got five years of pay that I've never spent, Ma'am. You made him my apprentice and I took the responsibility willingly. I'm going to take care of him until he graduates!" He nodded at the quivering boy.

He could almost hear her eyes rolling. "That's very noble Hath, but the courts... "

"Will have to go through me and the rest of the Ninety-Fifth to take him!" he growled.

"I could order you to give him up."

He grinned wolfishly. "Ma'am, respectfully, I always figured you were smart enough to not give an order you knew wouldn't be followed."

The line was silent for a moment. "Very well! On your own head be it. The boy will remain in your care during his training. I'll have my assistant do up some sort of paperwork to that effect." Her tone turned ominous. "I will be watching you!"

Hath smiled at the relieved face before him. "Yes Ma'am! You do that, and we'll see what kind of a Hunter we can make of him."

Glynda's voice softened. "Good luck then Sergeant Hath. Do me proud."

The soldier's eyes blinked a few times in surprise. "Ma'am... ?"

Her tone turned brisk "I'll notify Harper in the morning. You've already earned the promotion, and I've decided to accelerate it a little."

Hath straightened, once again thankful that he and his companions had found a worthy commander. "I will, Ma'am! Thank you." Tucking the scroll away, he winked at the boy. "Let's get these dishes squared away and go shopping!"

Oakley shifted uncomfortably. "So, Ah'm gonna live with yew now?"

"As my apprentice. It's going to take some work on both our parts," Hath pointed out. "But first we're going to get you some new clothes and all the other personal stuff." He plucked at the dirty sleeve of the threadbare shirt. "When's the last time you took a bath?"

Oakley flipped the limp ear over his shoulder. "Reckon it don't matter, seein's ah'm about ta get 'nuther!" he grumped.

Hath sniffed the air pointedly. "Yup! Soon as I can get you near some soap!"

* * *

Persimmon waved at the woman standing in the doorway of 'General Goods' before turning to follow his teacher. "She'uz a really nice lady!" he said softly, running his hands down the sleeves of the new yellow shirt. A black leather vest designed for Hunters now supported his axe properly in his back, while dark red pants were tucked into the new boots that didn't even need laces! "Ah declare, ah feel like a whole different feller!" He frowned in recollection. "What'd she mean 'bout Ay-kikko's gonna have a fit?"

Hath chuckled as he opened the door of the car he'd borrowed from the motor pool. "Don't sweat it kid. Her daughter, Akiko, is going to be one of your teachers. She's a little prickly at times, but never mean."

Oakley frowned as he scooted across the seat. "Thistles is prickly. Don't mean I likes rollin' round in 'em!"

The soldier smiled at him. "Just mind your manners and do what she tells you, you'll get along fine."

The boy leaned his weapon against the door next to him. "So, where we gettin' to now?"

Hath pulled up a map on his scroll, checking the directions. "We're off to see another of your teachers. Her name is Hart D'Ore, and you need to be real polite to her. We need her help for something very important to your future. Alright?"

The boy nodded seriously as the car began moving. "Yessir!"

* * *

Autumn was practicing her defensive moves under Hart's watchful eye when the two visitors came through the door. The young girl didn't spare a glance at the new arrivals as her aunt had the habit of making sure her student was awake by making sudden attacks with her own blade. The thin bloody streak on Autumn's cheek was evidence of an earlier wavering of attention.

Oakley paused in the doorway, suddenly shy under the older Faunas' steady gaze. He felt like a mouse being watched by a well-fed hawk, the green eyes never wavering as they watched the two approach.

Hath touched two fingers to his forehead in semi-salute. "Afternoon Miss D'Ore. May we have a moment of your time?"

Hart nodded and led them towards the side of the room, away from the sweating girl going through her paces. She glanced over her shoulder at her pupil long enough to make Autumn aware that her instructor's attention was still on her. Satisfied with the effect, she turned back to her visitors. "So, Hath. Do we have a new pupil?"

"We do indeed!" He gently pushed the boy to the fore. "Persimmon Oakley, meet Miss D'Ore. She'll be teaching you how to use your axe, along with a few other subjects."

Oakley nervously held out his hand. "Pleased ta' meet'cha Miz Dore!"

Hart tried not to grin at the boy as his cheeks reddened when her hand touched his. "I'm pleased to meet you also, young man," she said gently, ignoring the mangling of her name. "Are you ready to begin?"

Hath cleared his throat. "Aahh... and there's the next problem to solve."

Hart frowned at him, then suddenly held out a hand to stop him responding. Her head rose towards the ceiling as her voice rose in volume. "Miss Delacourt! Did I say it was time for a break!?" She smirked slightly as the sound of squeaking shoes resumed behind her. "Now, then. You said there was a problem?" she asked the confused pair in front of her.

Hath jumped slightly as if awakening, while Oakley took a step backwards. "Oh! Yeah, I did," he paused for a moment to marshal his thoughts. "If I understand it correctly, every student entering a fighting school has to have his Aura released, right?" He paused again until Hart nodded in assent. "Then Oakley here needs the same thing, but I'm not a Hunter and can't help him with it. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but it also should be done by someone who can act as a mentor too, right?"

Hart nodded solemnly. "That's a reasonable, and fairly accurate, description. Is there anyone in his family that can do it?" Her attention was drawn to the boy as his eyes dropped to the floor.

Hath shook his head. "Worse. There's no family at all. Persimmon's an orphan now. I'll be taking care of him until he graduates."

Hart laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that. You have my condolences, Persimmon. I'm an orphan myself," She looked back to the soldier. "So we need someone willing to be his Shield then!"

Oakley frowned up at her . "Ma' Shield? Whut's that mean?"

Hart squatted, placing her eyes on level with his. "When a person's Aura, their soul, is released, it forms a bond between the student and whoever helps them. We call those people 'Shields' since they are committed to protecting the student while they learn how to be a Hunter or Huntress," Hart nodded towards the girl on the far side of the room. "She is my god-daughter and I am her Shield. Until she learns everything we can teach her, I must protect her from harm. Do you understand?"

Oakley looked across the room at the younger girl's serious face. He tried to imagine how much protecting a girl in armor with a sword might need. The trickle of blood drying on her cheek made him wonder how dangerous this particular training was going to be. He looked back towards Hart's expectant face. "Uh... not really, Miz Dore." He shrugged at her baffled look. "Ah heard Ma tell lotsa stories 'bout Gran'pappy bein' a Hunter, and how he had all sorts'a 'ventures. But she never said nothin' bout no Aw'rah stuff, nore bout no trainin'!" The boy's eyes dropped his new shoes. "Ah'm just hopin' to be somethin' more'n a pig farmer!"

Hart looked up to Hath, the soldier's look of dismay matching her own. He held up his hands and shrugged, as if to say 'Now what?'. Rising gracefully, she laid a hand on the unhappy boy's chin, lifting his face toward hers. "We'll have to see whether or not you have it in you to be a Hunter, then," she told him. Turning him about, she gently thrust him towards Hath. "Bring him back to me after dinner. Tonight, he will stand a vigil in the Circle of Memories."

As Hath nodded acceptance, she turned towards the other side of the room. "Autumn!" The girl stopped her practice and faced the three. "Run and tell your uncle Tan that I need him again!"

Autumn's eyes widened at the unexpected request. What little she'd overheard left her wondering about the new kid. Maybe she could ask her parents for some answers over dinner. "Yes, Miss D'Ore!" Finding her uncle wouldn't be too hard, there were only a few places he frequented when he was in Vale. Her gaze shifted to the boy next to Hath. Whoever he was, her Aunt obviously saw something more in him than she could. Securing her weapon, she ran out the door, intent on finding the reclusive Hunter.

* * *

( A/N : This would have been out earlier, but I finally took a real vacation and visited friends in Texas that I haven't seen for several decades. Much fun was had between old high school buddies. We get older, but are still young inside. )

Can anyone become a Hunter? Even a kid with nothing more going for him than an heirloom and stories of his grandfather's adventures? Thanks to Hath dumping the problem in Hart's lap, now she has to discover the answer with zero prep time! Is her teammate what the young Faunas needs? Or have the years changed him more than she thinks?

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	4. Chapter 4

HART-TNG

Chapter 4

Moonlight Vigil

Oakley's overnight vigil will serve two purposes, if everything goes according to Hart's plan... she hopes!

* * *

The heavy doors creaked slightly as Hart pulled them open. The rounded building had started as an overly large gazebo when the house had been built. Someone had taken the time to build it to last using stout timbers. When the Faunas Huntress had acquired the house on its four acres of land, she'd added solid walls, sealing in the high dome. What once had been a comfortable place to look over a small garden had been repurposed to serve her own needs.

Picking up the small lantern, she led her prospective student to the center of the room. Oakley peered nervously at the myriad plaques lining the walls. Reaching almost to the roof, they filled the space with reflected silver light.

Hart deposited the lamp on a small circular stone in the center of the wooden floor. Turning to the boy, she lifted her hands towards the softly gleaming metal around them. "The Circle of Memories!" she announced. "Each of these is a memorial to a fallen Huntress or Hunter. They made the choice to defend the innocent, facing evil wherever it arose. Many here died defending Vale during the Fall, others went down when we re-took the city. As individuals, they were not perfect. None of us are. Yet they died as heroes, doing the job they chose in the best way they could."

Oakley turned slowly in place, wide eyes taking in the number of metal plates. One significantly larger than the others caught his attention. "Whoa! Why's that'n bigger?" he asked.

Hart led him to the wall, then sat down, patting the floor next to her. When he'd seated himself, she touched the name on the metal. "This was my mentor, my own Shield. His name was Edda Odson, a human who saved my life the day my mother was murdered." One finger traced the outline of the engraved sigil, three arms linked in a triangle. "He was a very brave man who saw the potential in me to be a Huntress. Like Hath sees in you, I think," she nodded at the solemn boy. "He saw to my training and taught me many things," she sighed deeply. "He died saving the city about the time you were born, just before I was accepted at Beacon Academy."

Oakley nodded soberly. "So, he'uz kinda like a daddy to you?" He stroke the limp left ear thoughtfully. "Kinda like Hath 'n me, I guess."

Hart grinned lopsidedly at the thought of the soldier being called a 'daddy'! "Not exactly. Hath is more like a big brother. He was asked to help with your training, and sort of took it a step further," she turned slightly to face the boy squarely. "I have someone in mind to be your Shield, but I need to have two things happen before making my decision," she held up a finger, "First, I want you to spend the night here standing a Vigil as people did in the days before the Academy's were founded, thinking about whether or not you really want to be a Hunter. It's not a decision to rush into!" A second finger was raised. "While you're doing that, I'm going to talk with the man I think might make a good Shield for you. I don't know if he'll agree to do it, yet. He may choose not to, or I may decide he won't be good for you," she warned.

The boy squeezed his hands between his knees, looking down miserably. "An' if he don't, I go be a pig farmer?" He winced as her finger tapped him sharply between his Faunas ears.

"None of that!" She lifted his chin. "If you decide you truly want to be a Hunter, I'll keep looking until I find someone to be your mentor," she promised earnestly. When he nodded in understanding, she released him and rose. Leading him back to where the lantern sat, she indicated a space on the floor near the pedestal. "Leave your weapon there. You may move around the room, but you can't leave until I come for you in the morning. You are not to sleep! If I find you asleep when I come back, then you don't have it in you to be dedicated to the task. Do you understand?"

He nodded sharply. "Yes'M! Don' worry 'bout me, Miz Dore! Ah'll do like you say!" Setting his axe on the floor in front of the light, he knelt down, looking up at her with a serious face. "Iffen he don't choose me, ah'll stick it out til someone do!"

Stepping outside, she closed the doors. She smiled fondly at the wood sealing him in. "I'll stick it out too, Persimmon Oakley!" Promise made, she patted the latch a final time before striding across the yard to the dimly lit porch of her home. Settling herself at the edge of the wooden deck, she pulled Oathblade from its sheath and set the blade across her knees, intent on keeping her own vigil through the night. There was still a second, possibly more difficult question to answer before sunrise.

The stars wheeled overhead as the hours passed. Hart settled into a light trance as the night progressed, letting her mind wander over the possibilities of the future. The moon was just about to set when the decking creaked slightly behind her. Her expanded senses hadn't sent her conscious mind a warning, so it must be...

"Hello Tan." She could almost feel him grinning at her back. Her left hand gestured towards the edge of the wood next to her. "Grab a seat."

She turned slightly to regard the man lowering himself to the boards. He was heavier now, more muscular than when they had met many years ago. A new scar gave his face a slightly sinister air, the once boyish looks now hardened by his many battles. Of the four members of Team HART, he was the only one to continuously seek out fights to get into, taking the hardest jobs offered. Even Yang, the eternal adrenalin junkie, couldn't keep up with his record. He was on the path to self-destruction if he didn't slow down. "I see Autumn found you."

He grunted noncommittally. "She knows me too well. I should find a new bar."

And that was another thing that hurt them all. He'd started the drinking when Ruby hadn't come back, it had gotten worse over the years. If he wasn't on a mission, he could be found at one of two bars near the docks. She'd heard a rumor that some of the city's new guards were running a betting pool over which would kill him first, Grim, Bandits, or Bottle. "I wish you'd find a coffee shop. Autumn doesn't need to be going into bars at her age!"

Tan raised his hands defensively. "I'm not the one who sent her!" he retorted. "You should have seen the look she gave the bartender when he told her to leave! It reminded me of you!" He leaned against a post and smiled at her scowl. "So, why send for me? She never gave a reason."

She ran a finger along the length of her blade, nodding towards the building on the far side of the lawn. "There's a young Faunas boy in the Circle of Memories who's deciding whether or not to be a Hunter. He's Hath's responsibility and needs a Shield to release his Aura."

Tan winced slightly as he looked at the short tower in the distance, hating the place for what it did to him every time he stepped inside. The last thing he wanted was to remember those days and all the friends who'd stayed the course and been lost in the end... and her! The woman who hadn't come back to him left a hole in his heart that he numbed with alcohol. "And so you called me?"

She nodded. "And so I called you," she agreed. "He needs someone to mentor him. He has a head full of stories and dreams, without any facts. And you..." she sighed, turning her head to look closely at her teammate. "You need someone to help you find your center again." She held up a hand to forestall his angry retort. "Please, Tan! Trust me, like you used to?" Her hand swept towards the Circle. "I don't want to add your name there. We... can't lose you just yet. You mean too much to me, to all of us!"

His hands clenched into fist as his face darkened, then suddenly relaxed. Drawing a deep breath, he looked across the grass. "Okay. I'll try not to get killed anytime soon." The promise was halfhearted. He scratched at the new scar thoughtfully. "So, this kid..."

"His name's Persimmon Oakley." she supplied.

"This... Persimmon. You think he's going to choose to be one of us?"

Hart pushed a strand of wayward hair back behind an ear. "Yeah, I do think so. But it's not going to be easy for him. He's got nobody left, his whole family's gone now. Hath is taking care of him until he graduates."

Tan laughed silently, right fist pounding his thigh. "Hath? Mister Bachelor? I never thought he'd do something like that!" he finally exclaimed.

"He's a very responsible man!" Hart said defensively.

The Hunter held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright! I know he is! I just never expected it." Lowering his hands, he nodded towards the building. "So... got a spot on the wall already picked out for me?"

She gave him a sad smile as he got to his feet. "Yep! All the way up, across from the door. Just about the last space that can be reached!" She clambered to her feet, pausing to sheathe the sword. "Right next to my spot."

"Optimist!" he said over his shoulder, heading towards the building. He paused as she called his name.

"He's a good kid!" she warned. "Bear that in mind!"

Tan stopped in midstride, his head sinking between his shoulders. "Yeah. That's the problem. They were all good kids." He raised his head and stared at the setting moon. "And then there's me." Glancing over his shoulder at the woman on the porch, he shrugged. "I hope you're right about this."

* * *

Persimmon lifted the stub of the pencil from the page. The small leather bound book was something he habitually carried, the neatly lettered sentences within at odds with the way people around him saw the son of a pig farmer. He'd never let anyone read it, lest they scoff at his attempts.

' Night,

the dark cotton

dimming the light of my soul'

He regarded the page critically, finally satisfied that the first part was saying what he felt. The pencil descended again, stopping just short of the page as a creak sounded from the doorway. He hastily closed the book, slipping it into his vest as a heavyset man stepped inside, gently pulling the door shut behind him. The boy cleared his throat nervously as the man approached.

"Ah.. Evenin' sir! I weren't spectin' nobody til mornin'. Miz Dore din' say nuthin' bout no visitor whilst I's supposed to be vigil'n'." He frowned as the man seated himself. "Y'all sure yer allowed ta be here?"

The scarred face looked pensively at the walls before turning to Persimmon. "It's like this, kid. I don't exactly take orders from "Miz Dore" anymore. She thinks you might have the potential to be a Hunter, but I don't always trust other people's feelings. I prefer to find out for myself." A calloused hand reached out, engulfing the boy's. "Tan Tyrson. How'dya do!"

"Persimmon Oakley! Please ta meet'cha Mister Teer-sun!"

And the kid meant it, thought Tan as he freed his hand. He waved it at the weapon on the floor. "That yours?" he asked.

Oakley patted the haft fondly. "Yeppers! Ma said Granpap left it to me when he passed. Guess mebbe he thought ah could take over fer'm when ah was growed." He lifted it up and passed it to the Hunter. "She's a good'un!"

The half-moon blade had a razor edge, Tan noted, with a straight haft long enough to get a two-handed swing. The poll was a solid hammer of polished metal and had seen a lot of use, judging from the dents. Flipping it end for end, he gauged the muzzle of the haft to be about the same as his Gunfas. A heavy hitter at close range. He nodded appreciatively. Blade, blunt, and gun all in one lethal package. "Very nice!" he commented, handing it back. "But can you use it?"

Oakley glanced down at the blade. "Ah don't rightly know yet," he admitted. "Ah ain't had much practice with'er. Wasn't much in the way a' time, what with the chores Uncle Peach laid on me all day long. Never got no proper trainin' neither. Granpap died fore I could learn what makes 'er tick!"

Tyrson nodded. "So you're pretty much starting from scratch, then." The boy nodded without looking up. Tan looked around the room, trying not to let himself get pulled into pity for the kid. His eyes wandered over the softly gleaming rectangles lining the walls. "Tell me something, Oakley. Do you have any idea what this place is?" he asked softly.

Persimmon looked up at the man, wondering what he meant. "Miz Dore says it's a 'Circle of Memory', but ah ain't rightly sure why it got named that. Seems a lotta folks she knew done got kilt, an' mayhap she's worryin' bout forgettin' em," he answered.

Tan snorted. "She's never going to forget them. We knew most of them pretty well from school, young kids just like us bent on becoming certified Hunters and Huntresses. Some we hardly knew at all, but those were mostly older people that had already made a name for themselves." He turned in place, palms up. "This is a memorial to what happens to all the people who become Hunters. We fight the darkness until it kills us!" he said bitterly.

Oakley scratched his good ear. "Well now! Beggin' yer pardon, but... Don't know 'bout you, but ah figger ever'body's gonna die sometime. I's thinkin' it's better ta go down fightin' than jes' lay down an' give up!"

Tan stood, cocking an eyebrow at the response. "You do, do you?" He turned to face the boy. "Tell me, Mister Oakley, do you think you're brave enough to be one of us?"

The boy nodded. "Yep! I legged it for six days ta git here'bouts by my lonesome!" He puffed out a skinny chest. "An' I tell you, thet were a long lonely road! Ain't a lot can skeer me!"

The new scar bent at an angle as Tan grinned at the boy's posturing. "Let's test the theory." Spreading his arms, he unleashed his Semblance.

* * *

The shout from across the field snapped Hart out of her trance, Oathblade upright in her right hand as she raced towards the building. Her left hand was on the latch before she realized that the blue light leaking under the door could only mean one thing.

She drew back, releasing the handle with a muttered curse. This wasn't something she had anticipated, but she had to trust in him. He wouldn't hurt an innocent, he couldn't! He might be at the lowest point in his life, but she would never think of him as being like that. She couldn't find it in her to doubt him, but...

Sheathing her sword, she laid an ear against the door panel.

* * *

"What in Tarnation is you?!" the boy demanded, hefting the axe over one shoulder. He shivered as the blue fire leaking from the eye slits in the golden helm looked at him from across the room, his mind numbed by the waves of anger that surged around the circle like a tidal pool of hatred.

The thing's voice rumbled like distant thunder. "We are the Joined, the Rage! We are that which hunts the darkness and kills it! We have hunted for a thousand years! A hundred times we have fallen, only to rise again with the coming of a new generation! Tell us, young one! Do you fear now?"

From his shared perspective with the Semblance, Tan studied the Faunas youngster. When he'd turned his Semblance loose, the boy had grabbed his weapon first before bounding backwards across the room in one prodigious leap. Now Oakley stood his ground, axe raised and ready to defend himself. Kid's got sand!, he thought. But let's see if he's got enough brains to think before acting.

The axe shook slightly as Persimmon's eyes narrowed. "Ah... ah ain't skeered'a you!" he shouted. The axe lowered slightly. "Ah's jes' taken unawares like!" He hefted the axe again. "But iffen you's dead set on fightin', I'd be pleased as punch to let y'all find out jes' how sharp ma' axe is!"

Coarse laughter came from within the metal helm as the creature seated itself cross-legged in front of the lantern. Both hands rose palms out, warding off the boy's challenge. "Peace... peace young one! Come! Sit with us and take my hand. We will talk of battles won, of courage shared, and what will become of you after the one who holds me releases your soul."

* * *

Hart blew out the breath she'd been holding, stepping away from the door and the murmuring voices behind the wood.

Tan, you sneaky bastard, she thought. I am gonna give you a hug, then smack you upside the head for pulling that trick! Now if Oakley could just provide the anchor her friend needed so much!

She glanced up at the lightening of the eastern sky, then turned towards the house. Coffee for three seemed to be in order, now that a new day was dawning.

* * *

"Persimmon Oakley. Do you wish to become a Hunter?"

Oakley forced his knees to be still. It was bad enough standing in front of Miss Goodwitch again, but being surrounded by people he'd barely met made him more nervous than he'd ever been before.

Behind the professor stood Hath along with several of the soldiers he'd been introduced to while staying with his teacher. Aldus, towering over them, gave him a wink and a smile. Next to the giant, the girl he'd seen in Miss D'Ore's class was watching the proceedings with unfeigned interest.

Looking back up at the woman, he nodded earnestly. "Yes'M! With all mah heart!" His chest pounded as he gazed into her eyes. "Taint nuthin' else in this world I want more."

"Very well, then." She looked to her left. "Mister Tyrson?"

Tan stepped forward as Glynda moved aside. "Let's see if I remember how this is done," he whispered to the boy, holding out his right hand.

"We'll do' er together, Mister Teersun!" Oakley whispered back, clasping the offered hand. "I trusts ya ta do right by me!"

Tan rolled his eyes. "Fine! Now shut it and let's get this over with" he muttered. Laying his left hand on the skinny shoulder, he closed his eyes.

"In the passing of a sacred duty, we achieve immortality. Our souls no longer bound by death, but instead becoming one with the living world!... " The Hunter's words rolled over the silent crowd.

Persimmon stiffened as Tan's body was surrounded by a deep blue glow, the shimmering force racing down the man's arm and diving into the skin of the hand he held. A sudden warmth appeared in the boy's chest and spread throughout his body. Oddly, he felt the limp Faunas ear rising up to stand straight alongside its twin. Somehow it just felt... right... now.

"... Through this choice you are destined to rise above all others as a symbol of virtue! And I choose to stand by your side, to aid and protect as your Shield!" His eyes opened, the blue fire of his Semblance reflected on the youngster's calm face. "And death shall not separate us." The fire dimmed as his hand was released. "Look at yourself, boy. This is your Aura," he whispered.

From the sidelines, Autumn let out an 'ooh' of appreciation as the new student stared at the grass green glow outlining his body. The words her Uncle had used were different from those her Aunt had spoken at her own ceremony, but the meaning behind them remained the same. A new Hunter had been born in that instant, one with the same future she had.

She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh as the boy threw his arms around the startled Hunter, a flustered look coming over the scarred face. 'This is gonna be an interesting four years!', she thought as the crowd moved forward to congratulate the boy. A sniff from the man next to her drew her attention. Wordlessly she handed Hath a handkerchief.

"I suppose you're going to tell your dad you saw me crying." he muttered after wiping his eyes and blowing his nose.

She looked up at him in exasperation. "You two are the biggest crybabies I know!" she huffed, leaving him standing in bafflement as she strode off to talk to Hart.

* * *

A/N : And then there were two.

Persimmon may be a 'hick from the sticks', but he's got what it takes to stand his ground in the face of his mentor's Semblance, something only one other person has ever done.

Now all he has to do is face his new teachers, four years of training, and a fellow student that expects him to keep up. What could go wrong?

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	5. Chapter 5

HART-TNG

Chapter 5

The Hephaestus Girl

Glynda deals with a dilemma, one she didn't foresee when deciding that a fighting school should be

formed for the next generation of students. A mother's mistake drops the problem squarely in her lap.

* * *

The speaker on the desk buzzed, rousing Glynda from her perusal of the paperwork she'd been studying for the last half-hour. A slim finger poked the button to still the alarm.

"Yes, Diamonda? What is it?" she asked, setting the papers down and rubbing her temples in an attempt to make the headache go away.

"Sorry to disturb you, Professor, but the Chief of the Vale Fire Department says he needs to see you. He says it's very important and can't wait." The secretary's voice sounded as if she were pleading for release from whatever the visitor had brought.

"Very well. I can only spare a few minutes though. Send him in, please." Goodwitch leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes until the latch clicked. The man that entered was known to her, but the two he ushered into the room were strangers. A harassed looking woman was followed by a teenage girl in a stained dress.

"Sorry to barge in on you ma'am, but this couldn't wait!" the Chief said as he strode across the room to her desk.

Glynda frowned as the woman followed him meekly, dabbing at puffy eyes. "What seems to be the problem?" she asked cautiously.

"She is!" His hand pointed back to the girl standing in the doorway, black hair framing a pale face marked with smudges of soot. Scorch marks dotted the front of the yellow summer dress. "She's the source of the fires in the Dockside Arms apartment building! I've been trying to find the arsonist for the last two years! Her mother..." the finger pointed at the older woman froze her in place, "has been covering for her all this time!"

"It wasn't on purpose!" the youngster exclaimed. "I didn't mean to do it! It was...!" Her hands clutched the air in front of her, exasperation evident in her voice. "Please don't do this!"

Glynda fell back on her training as a teacher at Beacon. A gloved hand pointed towards the couch and chair on the right hand wall. "Sit down, all of you!" she commanded in a voice that didn't go above a conversational tone, but promised dire consequences to if the order was not followed instantly.

The daughter sullenly followed her mother's rush to be seated. Glynda's lips thinned as she rose and paced over to stand in front of them. Crossing her arms, she cocked her head to one side. "Now Chief, tell me who these two people are and why you brought them to me, please."

The mother cleared her throat nervously and glanced at her daughter. "I'm Beryl LeFay, and this... " her head bobbed at the girl next to her, "is Morgana." She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself. "It's my fault, really! I did this to her!" she sobbed.

Morgana reached a hand out, not quite touching the shaking figure. "Mom, you didn't know! You thought you were doing the right thing!" she protested. The hand dropped along with her face. "I'm the problem."

"Will one of you tell me what's going on?" the professor asked quietly. Focusing on the girl, she motioned for her to continu.

Morgana's face tightened as she looked up at the older woman. "I got sick when I was ten. Really sick, and Mom thought I might be dying. So she found an old recipe in some book a neighbor had and dosed me with some purple Dust and herbs. I got better, but then this happened when I turned twelve!" She held out a hand, the palm cupped upwards. Her brows knitted for a moment, then flame burst from her palm. Her mother gave a shriek of fear and nearly fell off the couch trying to get away from the display. The Chief's face grew hard as he watched. The flames grew larger as the girl's face contorted. "I've been trying to control it for the last two years, but I can't!" she ground out between clenched teeth.

Glynda quickly reached out and grasped the shaking wrist with her left hand. "Breath! Stop concentrating on it, let yourself relax!" she ordered gently. As the girl's breathing evened out, she cupped her right hand over the shrinking flame, focusing her own powers and snuffing out the blaze, slowly flattening the hand she held. "That's better! The less tense you are, the smaller the flame. Relax and lean back now," she whispered, crouching down until her eyes were level with Morgana's. Stroking the palm gently, she looked over at the furious man. "I see now why you came to me. She's going to need training." Turning back to the wide-eyed girl, she smiled. "I've never heard of an accidental magic user before. I guess this makes you special!" Inwardly, she sighed in resignation. As if there weren't enough demands on her time! "I'll have to do it myself, since there isn't anyone else in the city with the qualifications. But you'll have to stay with me until I decide that you've learned enough not to have another accident." Her right hand dipped to flick a finger at the smudged dress.

Morgana angrily pulled her hand away, clenching it in her lap. "I don't want to be special! I just want to go home!" She glared at the offending extremity as if daring it to burst into flame again. A gloved hand gently, but forcefully, lifted her chin until she looked into the blue eyes in front of her.

"If you go home, there will be other accidents!" Glynda warned. "And someday someone will die! Is that what you want?"

"One of the tenants went to the hospital last year for smoke inhalation!" the Chief muttered. He subsided under Glynda's stern look.

Morgana shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "I don't want to hurt anyone, I just want to go home!" she howled.

"You'll go home, I promise you. But not until you've come to terms with this! For better or worse, this is your new normal. I'll do everything I can to teach you how to control your magic to do good things, things that will help people instead of hurting them. But it means leaving home and staying with me until you do." Glynda sighed as she looked into those lavender eyes. "We're both going to have to adjust." Looking at the two adults, she nodded towards the door. "Thank you, Chief. I'll deal with the matter. Missus LeFay? You may wait in the next room with my secretary. Your daughter will be staying with me for the foreseeable future but there will be paperwork to be done first." Thankfully she'd found a place in the city with a guest room. She turned back to the girl. "You're not allergic to cats, are you?"

* * *

Dropping her bag on the living room floor of Glynda's home, Morgana flopped onto the couch, resting her feet on a fuzzy striped footstool. She froze as the humped shape stirred, hastily snatching her feet back as it unfolded into the largest cat she'd ever seen. A pair of ragged ears perked up as gold-flecked eyes turned in her direction."Rowrr?" The question was unmistakable. It didn't appreciate being mistaken for a piece of furniture.

One ear flicked backwards as Glynda entered from the kitchen. Handing the startled girl a glass of water, she knelt to stroke the huge head. "I see you two have already met!" she said. Scratching under the cat's jaw produced a purr that sounded like a piece of badly tuned machinery. "This is Ed, my Atlas Forest cat. He's as brave as he is big... and twice as dumb!" She smiled fondly at the furry face, "I found him trying to take down a Beowolf when we were clearing the city. It was so idiotically brave..." she tugged an ear playfully, dodging a paw the size of a small plate, "that he reminded me of my old partner. So I took him in." Her face took on a wistful look as she stared at a framed photograph on the far wall. "Edda thought anything smaller than a Deathclaw was a waste of his time." Patting the head a final time, she rose and dusted loose fur from her gloves. "Now, let's see about getting you situated."

Morgana stared at the dimly lit ceiling of the guest bedroom, feeling lonely and unable to sleep in a strange place. Quiet creaking drew her attention to the door. She gulped as the cat padded across the room, heading directly for the bed. A sudden leap from halfway across the floor landed Ed in the middle of the blanket, barely avoiding Morgana's legs as she hunched into a ball against the headboard. Turning in a circle, he thumped down, purring contentedly.

The girl regarded the beast taking up the entire middle of the space available for her. Tentatively, she pushed a foot against the broad ribcage. "Hey! Get your own bed!" she hissed at him. Repeated jabs with the ball of her foot failed to budge the furry interloper.

Ed cracked one eye open, his mouth opening slightly until it seemed he was grinning at her discomfort. With supreme indifference, he licked a paw and began washing his ears.

Giving up on her attempts to move the beast, Morgana rearranged herself, laying sideways along the top of the mattress. "Fine! You win!" she muttered miserably, closing her eyes. The bed swayed slightly as the cat shifted his position. Tears pricked her eyes as she thought about everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Why did it have to be like this? Why couldn't someone else be stuck with magic she didn't want? "I hate my life!" she whispered.

Her brooding was broken by a damp tongue rasping across her forehead. Opening her eyes slightly, she found Ed staring at her from only a few inches, seemingly concerned."Merp?" She couldn't help giggling at the kittenish sound coming from such a big animal as he gently butted against her.

Rubbing her face in the soft fur, she sighed. "Oh Ed! What am I gonna do?" she whispered. The rumbling purr seemed almost hypnotic, driving the tension from her body and dragging her eyelids down.

When the human's breathing slowed, Ed nodded in satisfaction, then rested his head on the pillow. The ragged ears twitched as he listened for anything that might be a danger to his new pet. He took his responsibility very seriously, or at least as seriously as any other semi-domesticated feline.

* * *

A light tapping on the door woke her, Glynda's voice pulling her from a deep sleep.

"Morgana? It's time to get up. There's a lot to do today!"

Pulling a pillow over her head, she rolled over to escape the voice and promptly fell off the bed. From the floor, she had a nice view of Ed's furry face smirking down at her. He darted backwards as the pillow flew past his head.

Huffing angrily, Morgana pulled herself upright. Arms propped on the edge, she glared at the fuzzy face. "That wouldn't have happened if you had let me have my share of the bed!" she growled. Ed looked back at her in bored indifference, then stood up. Arching his back, he yawned mightily in her direction before jumping off the foot of the bed and marching to the door, tail curled into a question mark.

Glynda leaned into the room as the cat walked past her. "Hurry up now. Breakfast is on the table. We need to be out the door by eight!"

The girl reached over and turned the bedside clock so she could read it. Six-fifteen, she thought. The sun's not even up yet! She looked back to the door, mouth opening to protest, but Glynda had already gone. She considered climbing back into bed, but discarded the idea. Her life had enough problems as it was without adding the Professor's ire to it. Clambering to her feet, she went in search of clean clothes for the day.

Morgana concentrated on getting as much jelly on the toast as she could, gravity notwithstanding. The entire breakfast had been exactly like its maker, absolutely straightforward without a hint of excess sugar anywhere. A good meal, she thought, but lacking all the things a teenager wanted. She glanced across the table, looking through the transparent screen of the extended scroll at Glynda's intent face. Gloved fingers flicked the screen, scrolling through pictures of people whose names the girl couldn't make out from the wrong side. There seemed to be an awful lot of them, but the finger never seemed to stop until one photo caught her teacher's eye.

Goodwitch nodded to herself, tapping the number listed next to the picture before closing the scroll. Holding it next to her ear, she frowned at the girl's attempt to bypass the laws of physics. She turned away from the table as the call was answered. "Good morning Miss Scarlatina. I have something I'd like you to do for me if you are willing. Could you be at my office at ten-thirty?" The response brought a smile to her face. "I'd prefer to explain everything in person. It's a bit complicated, but not terribly so." She seemed to relax a little at whatever was said. "Thank you. I'll see you then. Goodbye." Glancing at the time on the device, she tucked it into her belt.

Morgana quickly tucked the last bit of toast into her mouth as a fresh napkin slid across the table. Hastily she dabbed up the two blobs of jelly that had escaped onto the gleaming surface.

"What do you know about Huntresses?"

The girl paused, napkin dangling from two fingers as she tried to recall what little she'd been taught. "Uhm... about as much as anyone I guess. They're women who go around killing things that threaten the regular people." She took a last swipe at the table, trying to think. "I've heard that they mostly died when all the bad stuff happened during the Fall of Vale." She blushed at the scowl coming from across the table. "I mean... that's what my teachers said, but they seem to be all over the place when Mom and I went shopping." she hastily amended. "Also, I guess they have kinda super-powers that they use to fight monsters and all. Like jumping over buildings and things." Her voice trailed off as the scowl deepened.

Glynda rolled her eyes and sighed. Placing her hands on the table, she leaned forwards. "I don't know about any super-powers, but at least your first sentence was correct. Huntresses do 'go around' killing whatever is threatening the general populace. Most Huntresses use a physical weapon, but they go through rigorous training before they're allowed out into the world. We who have the gift can use magic, but also receive the same kind of training." The woman sat back and folded her arms, waiting for the last bit to sink in.

Morgana leaned back in her chair, eyes widening. "Wait a minute! You're a Huntress? I thought you were some city employee!

Glynda snorted in derision. "The city pays my wages, but I'm a little more than an 'employee'! In addition to teaching Huntresses and Hunters as the Headmistress of Beacon Academy, I'm also the commander of the Ninety-Fifth Rifles, as well as the Administrator of the only fighting school left in the kingdom!" The glasses on her nose flashed in the morning sun streaming through the window of the kitchen. "And if that wasn't enough, now I find myself also taking on a student not connected with any of that. So I propose to teach you just like any other student studying to be a Huntress, which means that your lessons not involving control of your abilities can be shared among other teachers, leaving me with time to deal with all my other duties."

The girl sat for a moment, staring across the table as she assimilated all that. She frowned at the napkin in her hand. "What if I don't want to be a Huntress?" she asked after a few moments.

Glynda's lips thinned. "You won't be training to be a Huntress. You will attend the classes for the general education portion only. The combat and weapons training won't be part of your studies so you can sit on the sidelines. Of course, you'll be the only magic user who isn't a Huntress and will almost certainly be able to find employment. Perhaps in the food service industry?"

Morgana's jaw dropped. "What?! Like a waitress? But I can do magic! And I'll have training too, right?"

"Training to control your abilities, yes. Certified as a trained Huntress?... No! And the cities and villages only hire certified Hunters and Huntresses." Goodwitch put both hands on the table and leaned forward slightly. "Seriously though... once I'm satisfied that you can control yourself you can do whatever you choose with your life. Go back to school, continue your education, have a family if you like. Perhaps be a better teacher than the ones you had recently. Being a Huntress is one of many choices you can make. Just understand that for the moment it will be easier for both of us if I have you training with other students of the same age. I can't be with you all the time, and the current teachers of the new fighting school here can handle whatever might come up with your current abilities. I'm going to ask Miss Scarlatina to act as a mentor for you. She's a trained Huntress, and is the next best qualified person to help get your training underway." Glynda's nose wrinkled. "And she will also need paying for her time, so don't waste it!"

* * *

Diamonda gritted her teeth to keep from screaming in frustration. The Professor and her new student had arrived at Glynda's usual time, but the girl and her oversized shoulder bag had been deposited in the foyer with instructions to keep out of the way until Miss Scarlatina arrived.

Morgana had spent the first five minutes wandering about the room inspecting the furnishings and decor. Another two minutes had gone into looking through and discarding the magazines on the coffee table, none of which met with the teen's approval. Twenty minutes had been passed looking out the window at the early morning passersby. When that lost its allure, she flopped onto the couch and spent the next twenty minutes listening to snatches of music on her scroll.

Diamonda looked at the clock on her screen. Almost two more hours to go before this distraction would leave! And she hadn't got any work at all done yet! Almost unconsciously she brought up the newest shipping schedule from the docks.

If I make it through traffic quickly enough, I can be on my way to Atlas before anyone discovers the bodies!

Glancing at the closed office door, she cleared the screen and reached into the lowest drawer of her desk. Retrieving the book from its hiding place, she tossed it to the girl. "Try reading this!"

Morgana snatched at the book one-handed, lifting the scroll to keep it from harm. Turning off the music, she tucked it into her pocket then looked at the title in her lap. "What's this?"

Diamonda smirked at her. "It's the sequel to 'Ninjas of Love'. You should like it."

The girl looked up in confusion. "But I never read that one either!"

A hand waved the comment away. "Don't worry. This one's better by far."

Tucking her legs up on the cushion, Morgana bent over the book and read the first few pages. The chapter titles sounded innocent enough. Well, it was better than being totally bored.

Diamonda went back to her work as silence descended on the office again, broken only by the occasional surprised sound from the couch.

An hour had passed before the secretary's concentration was broken by a hiss of indrawn breath, followed by the girl shifting her position, turning away from the desk and curling over the pages.

Ah! Diamonda thought, she's gotten to chapter three! Smiling mischievously, she returned to her typing.

Deep in her book, the girl hardly noticed the people going in and out of the office until a shadow fell over the page. Irritated at the interruption, she glared up at the interloper's smiling face.

"Fancy that! Somehow I don't think that's a book the Professor would like to see you reading!" the Faunas woman said.

"She didn't say I couldn't!" Morgana shot back defensively, shoving the book into her bag. What's this woman's problem, she thought.

"I'm Velvet Scarlatina, and you would be Morgana I'm guessing. Professor Goodwitch wants me to help you find your way around the new school." A slim hand was offered.

The red-faced girl hesitated a moment, then shook hands. "Sorry! She hasn't told me a lot about what to expect today."

Velvet grimaced in reply. "No worries. She's always got a lot to do and teaching you how to handle yourself kind of caught her off guard." She pulled the girl to her feet. "But now that I'm here, we can get started." She looked Morgana over for a moment. "First, though, we'll do a bit of shopping!"

Morgana plucked at her skirt in confusion. "What's wrong with this? I dressed like this for my old school!"

Head cocked to one side, the Huntress folded her arms. "Let's just say that your new school is a little more physical and leave it at that. Skirts are fine, but I've found pants are a lot less trouble when you get moving around." She turned towards the door, motioning for Morgana to follow her. "And those shoes won't last a week! Come along, I know just the place to get you fitted out."

Morgan stole a glance to the woman's sturdy ankle boots before glancing down at her comfortable flats. "Whatever!" she muttered, catching up her bag.

* * *

"Good morning Miss Scarlatina!" The petite woman's bow swung the tape measure around her neck forward. "What may I do for you today? Please tell me your partner doesn't need another shirt!"

Morgana looked baffled as Velvet bowed in return, her long Faunas ears dipping respectfully at the shopkeeper. "No, Missus Washi. Yatsuhashi has been careful since the last time." The Faunas straightened, gesturing to the girl next to her. "Morgana needs some clothes that will stand up to Akiko's teaching."

The woman smiled at the girl. "So! You aspire to be a Huntress then?"

Morgana twisted her hands nervously. "Uhm, not really." she stammered.

The smile disappeared when the shopkeeper turned back to Scarlatina. "She is being taught by my daughter, but is not to be a Huntress? How is this possible?" she demanded incredulously.

Velvet waved a hand. "She's a special case. The Professor is taking a hand in her education as well, but doesn't have the time to teach her Math and all the other subjects, so she's off to learn with the others."

"Hmm! I won't pretend to understand." She turned back to Morgana, "Hold your arms out to the sides. I will need some measurements." Whipping the tape measure from around her neck, she stepped behind the girl. "So, how have things been with you?" she asked the Faunas while stretching the tape along an arm. Morgana stood still, taking in the conversation as she was measured up. From the shopkeeper's responses, she found that her own knowledge of what a Huntress did was woefully lacking. How could someone in a store know so much about killing Grim?

Velvet tapped her on the shoulder as the other woman dashed off to a tall ladder on one wall. "Hope your hand/eye coordination is good!" she said cryptically.

Morgana was about to ask what she meant when packages began flying across the room at her head. Velvet nodded approvingly as the girl frantically snatched them out of the air. In moments the stack reached eye level, a leather briefcase landing on the very top to block her view. Velvet's hand on her arm guided her across the floor to the counter.

"Set them down and we'll see about getting you changed." the Faunas said.

Dropping the pile gratefully, Morgana stepped back. "Changed? Into what?"

A pair of sturdy boots dangling from her hand, Missus Washi smiled at her. "Into your school clothes!" she said cheerfully.

Morgana eyed the pile warily. "If you say so."

* * *

A/N

From the delays in publishing, I almost feel like I should start each chapter with the letters "NDY", for Not Dead Yet. Everyday life is keeping me away from the keyboard too much.

Glynda's unexpected student is about to discover a whole new world, and new people that may teach her something about life.

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	6. Chapter 6

HART-TNG

Chapter 6

Friendly rivalry

* * *

Morgana clamped her mouth shut as the wind from the open sides of the jeep whipped her hair across her face. Velvet seemed to know only two speeds when driving, full stop and frightening. Light glinted through the blurred trees as they dropped down the hill towards the beach.

Coasting through the sand, the car stopped next to a yellow motorcycle. Shutting the motor off, Velvet grinned at her passenger. "And here we are! Your first class." Her ears dipped towards the waterline where two figures stood. "There's your teacher. Let's go say hello."

Dutifully followed her guide across the beach, Morgan tugged at the waist of her new sky blue blouse. She had to admit that the black slacks were a good idea in an open car, but the short boots took some getting used to. The thick heels that made her stand taller weren't her usual style.

As they came closer, the two figures resolved into a blonde woman and a young girl. The woman's right arm rose upright between them as she swayed slightly to her left, sunlight reflecting off the golden hand. "It's better to deflect a blow than to block it outright." Morgana heard her say. "Your Aura isn't strong enough to stop a heavy strike yet, so make it go by you."

Faunas ears perked upwards as the dark red ponytail bobbed in excitement. "Like this?" the girl asked, her own arm and body moving to copy the blonde's. The blocking arm dropped quickly as she caught sight of the two people approaching the class. "Um... Yang? Were you expecting someone?"

The blonde woman spun about, a perplexed look on her face until she recognized the other Huntress. "Hey Velvet! What brings you here?" A sunny smile spread across Yang's face.

"I have a new student for you." Scarlatina replied as the two shook hands. "Courtesy of Glynda, who sent me along with all the details." Velvet laid a hand on Morgana's shoulder, gently urging her forward. "Miss LeFay, this is Yang Xiao Long. She'll be one of your teachers until you're ready to be on your own."

Yang looked confused as she regarded the somber girl. "You mean until she graduates, right?"

Velvet laid a finger alongside her chin and regarded the sky. "Well... that's the sticky part. Have you got something these two could do while I tell you all about it?" She smiled mischievously at the other woman's frown. "As Glynda put it, it's complicated but not terribly much."

The blonde glanced over her shoulder. "Autumn, take Miss LeFay for a kilometer run down the beach and back."

The younger girl looked pained at the suggestion. "Only two kilometers?"

Her teacher rolled her eyes at the whining tone. "Just do it! Take your time and get acquainted too!" She turned back to the other Huntress. "Meanwhile, we're going to discuss some things."

"All right." the young Faunas replied in a resigned tone. Waving for the other girl to follow her, she started jogging down towards the wetter sand. "You'd better be able to keep up!"

Morgana glared at the smaller girl's back as she sped in pursuit. The challenging tone demanded an answer. Passing Autumn at a run, she called back over her shoulder, "Keep up yourself, pipsqueak!"

* * *

Hath pushed his chair back from the table, picking up the tray as he stood. "C'mon kid. Big day today for you," he said to the boy sitting across from him. Persimmon quickly stuffed the last pancake into his mouth, snatching up his axe and new schoolbag before following him out the door of the mess tent. Working out the placement of weapon and the long strap in the bag while chewing distracted him enough to nearly collide with one of the people entering the building.

Finally satisfied with his arrangements, he looked up at his guardian. "Whaf's e' p'an?" the boy said, spraying bits of cake into the air.

The soldier stepped to one side, avoiding the mess. "Don't talk with your mouth full!" he admonished his ward, leading the way to the main gate of the camp. "This is your fist day of class, so mind your manners."

Swallowing quickly, the boy trotted after him. "Ah thought ah's goin' tah be learnin' from y'all!" he said pensively.

The soldier patted one shoulder as he glanced down. "Some of it, but not all. You'll have other teachers besides me, remember?"

Oakley thought for a moment. "Raht... raht! Ay-kiko's gonna do'er too, ain't she." His ears drooped slightly, "Thet's the prickly one, raht?"

Hath chuckled. "Yeah, I did say that. But she's not the only one, today you'll be learning from Xiao Long. She's your unarmed combat instructor. She's not 'prickly', but she also won't let you get away with slacking off either!"

The boy's mouth worked for a moment. "Shee-ow Lawng?" he said hesitantly.

Hath stopped in his tracks, looking slightly shocked at the pronunciation. "Just stick with calling her 'Yang' kid. It'll cause less trouble," he said firmly before proceeding.

The boy shrugged and followed him. "Hokay!"

Several soldiers awaited them at the gate, led by the smiling giant Aldus. "Good morning to you, both!" he said as they approached. "We wanted to see you off to your first class, my small friend." A large hand came out from behind his back, a bar of chocolate in his palm. "And to give you this, in case you become hungry during your day."

Oakley's lips trembled a bit as he accepted the unexpected gift. "Thankee! Thankee kindly! Ah don't know rahtly whut t'say!"

Hath leaned down, whispering in his ear. The youngster straightened, standing as tall as he could when the man finished. "Ah'll do mah best ta' make y'all proud!" he declared.

McCoy thumped Aldus on his arm. "He'll do fine! Now let him get moving before he's late." Heads turned as a horn sounded out in the street.

Hath gathered up his charge as the others made their way back to the camp. "Tan's right on time." he told the boy. "He'll get you to your class today. He's got something to do there too, he said."

Oakley frowned at him. "Yew ain't cummin'? he asked.

"Nah!" Hath ruffled the blonde hair between the tall ears. "I've got duty today. I'll be teaching tomorrow. Get along now, and see what you can learn. I'll see you at dinner and you can tell me all about it."

* * *

Morgana regretted the impetuous challenge before long. Her breathing was ragged and matched the stitch in her left side. Sweat stung her eyes as it ran down her face. One hand pressed against her ribs, she staggered on through the soft sand, refusing to give up.

"You can head back if it's too much."

Autumn's tone wasn't unfriendly, but it wasn't exactly what Morgana wanted to hear right now either. She glanced at the Faunas girl easily jogging backwards a few feet ahead of her, the reddish hair swinging in time to her steps. The Human girl gritted her teeth and pulled herself upright, ignoring the pain in her side. "No! She said two kilometers. I'll do it!" Even if it killed her, she wasn't about to let this kid outdo her on the first day!

Autumn's pace slowed until they were even, then slowed again slightly to match the Human's pace. "It's not a competition, we're just training to increase our endurance. Yang won't hold it against you if you can't do the whole course yet." she told the panting girl. "I've been running for a couple of months now, so it's a lot easier for me. You don't need to push yourself this hard yet. There's plenty of time to learn this stuff before we graduate."

"I'm not gonna graduate!" Morgana felt her cheeks heat under the shocked girls gaze.

"But... why wouldn't you?" Autumn almost stumbled as she stared at the reddening face. "You can't quit, you just started! You can't be a Huntress if you don't graduate from a fighting school first!"

Morgana slammed to a halt, forcing the other girl to circle back before stopping. "I'm not gonna be a Huntress!" she exclaimed, ducking her head to avoid Autumn's eyes.

The younger girl spread her hands. "Then why are you here? Why train with me?" she shook her head, perplexed by the sudden revelation. "What's going on?"

Morgana glanced over her shoulder, back down the beach to where Yang and Velvet stood. Tugging at Autumn's sleeve, she started jogging again. "Miss Goodwitch insisted that I go through some of the classes you take. She says I can't go home until I learn how to control my magic, but she can't spend all day teaching me herself so I gotta do this until I can. She said the teachers would be able to handle whatever might accidently happen with me."

Autumn looked towards the jetty that formed the turning point in their run, not really registering it as she considered what had been said. "Okay, that part makes sense. But you not controlling your magic...? You lost me there."

The hand on the sleeve guided Morgana into the turn-around as she marshaled her thoughts. "I wasn't born with magic, like Glynda. Mine is kinda accidental, and I've been trying my best to control it for the last two years." She grimaced at painful memories. "I... nearly burned down my apartment building once." She groaned at the surprised look that her admission earned her. "I didn't mean to ! It just kinda... happened!" she finished weakly.

Autumn gulped, her mind filled with the vision of what could have been. She unconsciously edged away slightly. "So she thinks you're safe enough to go to classes then?" The dark hair rippled as the other girl shook her head.

"No. She hasn't even managed to teach me a single thing yet! I have to wait until she has time for me. Until then, Miss Scarlatina is keeping an eye on me so I don't do something stupid!" she finished bitterly. "It's not my fault!" Swiping a hand across her eyes, she put on a burst of speed and left the smaller girl behind.

Autumn let her run ahead, unsure of what to say in response to the girl's outburst. What was the Professor doing, letting this untrained time bomb into the class? Shaking her head, she picked up her own pace. "Run closer to the water! The sand's firmer there!" she called to the girl. It was the most help she could offer.

* * *

"We're back!" Autumn called as she slowed to a stop. Velvet waved in response as she continued to chat with Yang. The girl they were discussing was sitting a short distance away in the sand, her chin sunk down on upraised knees, doing her best to ignore them.

"So all she's supposed to do in your class is the exercise portion. Glynda doesn't need her to learn any of the combat from anyone. She'll be doing math with Akiko and history with Hart."

The blonde frowned, her nose wrinkling. "So there's nothing else? What if she decides she wants to join in?"

The Faunas shook her head gently. "She can't. She doesn't have an Aura to protect her, so no combat whatsoever!"

Autumn helped herself to a bottle of water as Xiao Long thought about that information. "So how is she supposed to graduate?" Yang studied her metal hand for a moment. "I never really expected to have a student that wasn't going to go the whole distance."

"Well, you do now I guess. Morgana?" Velvet's voice rose as she looked over to her charge. "Let's go. I need to introduce you to your other teachers." She looked down as something tapped her elbow.

"Can she have a few minutes?" Autumn asked innocently, holding up two bottles of water. "She's probably tired after our run." Not waiting for approval, she stepped smartly towards where the other girl sat.

Dropping down next to the unhappy girl, she tapped the second bottle against a raised knee. "Here! Don't say I never gave you anything." The offering was accepted without a word. "I guess we all have some changes to make. We both need training, just different types. Wish I could help with yours, but I don't know squat about magic."

Morgana sipped the water, nodding as she set the bottle down. "Neither do I , so we're even on that one." Laying her head sideways on her knees, she studied the younger girl. "Is it that hard? The training I mean."

Autumn drew her knees up, copying Morgana's pose and gazing into the worried face. "Well, some of it is. I don't mind the physical stuff that much anymore. The hard part for me is the homework. It makes my head hurt sometimes!"

Their conversation was interrupted by another vehicle roaring down the road to the beach. Autumn stood up to get a better look, then waved vigorously after recognizing the odd design.

Tan had opted for a three wheeled motorcycle, but with the two wheels in front. The space between them was armored and painted with his own wheat sheaf sigil. The heavy saddle packs in the rear were similarly armored, but both were dented from his knack of using the bike's fast moving weight as a bludgeon against slow Grim. Compared to Bumblebee, it was a small tank in disguise.

Behind the Hunter sat someone she recognized from a few days ago, the boy who's Aura ceremony she'd attended. Her mouth quirked to the side as she tried to remember his name. Some kind of tree? Turning back to her new classmate, she offered a hand. "C'mon. Let's go meet my uncle."

LeFay let the girl pull her upright, then held her back by the same hand as she caught sight of the newcomers. "That's your uncle? But he's Human!"

Autumn looked at the girl, baffled by the response. "So? What's that got to do with anything?" she said indignantly.

"But you're... and he's... !" Morgana shook her head. "I don't understand!" She stammered as the smaller girl tugged her toward the waiting group.

"My mother's a Huntress and he's her partner. He's known me since the day I was born. Heck! He's always treated me like part of his family! I don't care what anyone says, he's my uncle!" She let go of the other girl's hand and threw herself into the man's arms.

Morgana couldn't take her eyes off the scarred face, comprehension slowly dawning as the Human's facial muscles seemed to relax, softening the sharp angles. Despite his obvious strength, he seemed almost gentle with the young Faunas. Never having been close to any of the Faunas in her old school, LeFay didn't quite know how to deal with the situation, so she stood back and watched silently.

* * *

Yang clasped hands with her friend as she looked at his companion. "So what brings you to our seaside classroom today?"

Tan reached back and firmly pulled the boy to the front. "Got a new student for you, courtesy of Hath. This is Persimmon Oakley. He's got courage, but he needs training from the ground up." He gave a gentle push on the thin shoulder. "Say something, kid."

Yang almost laughed as Persimmon blushed while shaking hands. She'd had that effect on young men most of her life, but now she was a teacher even though she still had trouble believing it. The smart-alec comments of her younger self didn't belong here. "Welcome to the class, Persimmon!" She turned to the woman next to her. "And this is one of our friends, Velvet Scarlatina."

Oakley's blush deepened as the Faunas woman held out a hand. He managed to stammer a greeting, never taking his eyes off her ears. He scuttled back to stand partly hidden behind his Shield when she finally let go.

Trying not to laugh at the youngster's red face, Tan pushed him towards the girls standing off to one side. "Go introduce yourself to the rest of the class while the old people talk."

Yang glared at him, hands on her hips. "Speak for yourself, Grandpa! I'm not that old!" she said firmly.

* * *

The two girls glanced at each other as the new student approached. "Think he got here late on purpose?" Autumn asked quietly. Somehow not being the only student any more was making her feel insecure and defensive. She'd known that, logically, it was going to happen. If there had been any warning she might have had time to prepare emotionally for the fact.

"Maybe he doesn't like to run?" Morgana responded, oozing innocence.

"I'll run him into the ground then!"

Morgana snorted in derision, watching her classmate closely to see how far she could be pushed. "He's a Jackrabbit Faunas. He was born to run! You don't stand a chance!"

Autumn crushed the water bottle as she turned on the newcomer. "Think you can outrun me?" she demanded.

"Of course he can!" the other girl goaded.

Oakley stepped back from the growing fracas. "Whut!? Is you gals crazed in the hed?" he asked incredulously, "And peoples' sayin' ah ain't got no manners! Don' even give a 'Hey There' afore startin' in on a guy?"

Autumn frowned at him, pointing to the girl next to her. "But she said... " Her finger dropped as her companion smothered a laugh with one hand, black hair rippling with suppressed glee. "Oh... shut up!" the Faunas told her before turning back. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she held out a hand. "Sorry! Just a misunderstanding. I'm Autumn Delacourt, and this joker... " she hooked a thumb at the girl holding her sides, "is Morgana LeFay. Pay no attention to anything she says!" The last was directed at the girl now squatting in the sand, arms wrapped around herself. "She thinks she's funny."

"Wall now Miss Aw-tum, ah ain't funny but ah'd be pleased as punch t' run agin' ya'. Name's Oakley, Persimmon Oakley and mighty pleased t' make yer 'quaintance!" He peered at her ponytail for a moment. "You'uz there t'other day, weren't yah? When Mister Tan done gimme mah Aw-rah?"

Autumn sat down and patted a patch of sand next to her. "I was, and your Aura color is cool. I like green." Her brow furrowed for a moment as he sat next to her. "Y'know, it's funny now that I think about it. My Aura's orange, but Aunt Hart's is more red. Tan's is blue and yours is green. Mom has a yellow, and Aunt Akiko's is kinda yellow-white like a really hot flame. I wonder why that is?"

"Dunno." Oakley answered, settling back on his elbows. "Whut color is yer Aw-rah, Miss Morgana?"

LeFay's laughter trailed off. Eyes downcast, she dug a finger into the sand, suddenly feeling left out of the group. "I don't have one." she answered quietly.

"Y'aint got no Shield yet?"

The girl rose quickly without answering, heading toward the adults. Persimmon's mouth hung open as she strode through the sand, fists clenched at her sides. His ears drooped a bit as he turned to Autumn. "Ah done said somethin' wrong-like, didn't ah?" he asked self-consciously.

She waved a hand at him. "You didn't know, so don't take it personal. She's only here 'cause the Professor made her come, and still kinda touchy about it. Don't worry about her." Her smile lifted his ears again. "So... tell me about your axe!"

* * *

A/N:

I can hardly wait to get these kids into their next class, just to see what mischief ensues. :)

But first, didn't Tan have something to do at the beach also?

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	7. Chapter 7

Hart-TNG

Chapter 7

Autumn and her classmates get a taste of just what kinds of jobs Tan has been taking.

* * *

Yang watched with interest as Tan reached into the armored saddle pack on his bike and withdrew a large beach towel and a curved Dust dagger. Her lips thinned as he stripped his T-shirt off, draping it over the seat before strapping the dagger to his right leg. He never seemed to care what others might think about the white scars criss-crossing his abdomen that stood out in stark contrast to the tanned skin, reminding her of how he nearly died to save her sister and their teammates. "So what exactly are you doing?" she asked.

Handing her the towel, he strode to the water's edge. Letting the waves roll around his ankles, he peered out into the distance. "The Vale council has gotten reports from the local fisherman that there's an aquatic Grim off this beach. One of them said that it's been attacking boats and dolphins, so they're willing to pay a hefty fee to have it cleared out." He glanced over his shoulder at the two Huntresses, grinning fiercely. "I told them I'd take care of it." Running forward, he dove into the water and began swimming.

"That's not fair!"

Yang turned to face her students, the youngest glaring at the retreating form of the Hunter. "What's not fair?"

Autumn pointed at the water. "How come he goes swimming without inviting us?" she grumped.

"He's not swimming for fun, he's working. Pay attention and maybe you'll learn something," her teacher replied. "You too, Persimmon! Someday you'll both be facing Grim, so watch how it's done while you can."

Morgana frowned at the distant figure. "He's not a very good swimmer. Look at all the water he's splashing around!"

Oakley shrugged, "Thet there's pretty much how I do it too," he commented blithely. He looked over at the girls who were staring at him. "Whut? Never said Ah's good at it!"

Hand on hips, Velvet sighed. "I give it five minutes, maybe a little less."

Yang nodded in reply. "Less!" She straightened as a huge black shape rose from the water, a long dorsal fin sweeping through the air as it rolled over after engulfing the swimmer. Her eyes widened as she took in the size of the thing. "Wow! An Orcus Grim! Never thought I'd see one outside of books." Her right arm shot out, hand locking on the collar of the girl rushing towards the water. "And just where do you think you're going, Miss Delacourt?" she snarled.

"I gotta help him!" Autumn shouted, trying to shake off the restraining hand. Her feet kicked the air as she was lifted off the ground.

Spinning the girl around, Yang dropped her in front of Oakley. "Sit! Both of you!" He dropped to the ground as Autumn spun around on her knees. "I said you were to watch, not join in!" she told the girl. "Have a little faith, kid. He's been fighting Grim as long as I have and he's still here. He'll handle this." She turned back to face the water again, crossing her arms. "Mind you, it's a little unorthodox though," she added.

Oakley rested a comforting hand on the younger girl's shoulder as Morgana squatted down next to him. "It'll be okay, Miss Aw-tum. T'aint nuthin gonna happen to him, he'll be back 'fore we know it. Ah don't reckon there be much thet kin stop Mister Tan when he's riled." He glared at the roiling water in the distance. "Thet there Grim ain't gonna know whut hit'm!"

Morgana thought this last was just boasting on the young man's part, surely the man must be the one that was doomed. She shaded her eyes with her hands, keeping a close eye on the water as it began to settle. Only a few moments passed before the black shape rose again to the surface, gently bobbing belly up in the waves. Eyes wide, she rose and pointed at the scene. "No way! He killed it?"

Oakley raised a hand to shade his eyes. He grinned as an arc of red light swept the length of the black skin of the Grim's stomach, the body already beginning to dissolve as Tan appeared through the cut.

"Yep! He's a bit riled alright!"

"From inside! He's crazy!" Morgana shouted, jumping up from the sand.

Yang grinned at the other Huntress. "Like I said, it's a bit unorthodox. Guess it ate something that disagreed with it."

Velvet stared at the blonde for a moment, then rolled her eyes. "Really? Leave it to you to say something like that. I do wonder which of you two is the maddest, I really do!" Despite her tone, she grinned back, knowing Yang was just as relieved as she was at the outcome.

Autumn frowned at the figure in the distance, seeing the golden gleam fading from around her uncle's head. Her mother had described his Semblance in broad terms, but hadn't gone into detail about it. She'd said it was frightening, but her daughter hadn't understood what she meant by that. Tan was one of the kindest men that she knew. As he swam back towards the group she made up her mind to find out. She'd already seen her mother's Semblance in action when she was a child of ten, testing her strength by trying to knock Renee off-balance. It had been a frustrating afternoon for the girl.

As Tan waded ashore, Oakley rushed to his side. "Thet were downright 'mazing Mister Tan!" the boy shouted.

"Just a job, that's all," he said, winking at the girl crowding up next to the him. "Nothing to it really."

"Yeah, yeah. Another day, another Grim." Yang said, handing him his towel. "You're cute when you're being all humble," she teased.

He draped the towel across his shoulders, then froze in surprise as a small hand was laid on the large scar that bisected his abdomen horizontally.

"Mom told me how you got this," Autumn whispered, looking up at him. "Thank you for saving them."

"Wasn't much choice at the time, kiddo," he answered, laying a gentle hand on her cheek. His eyes closed for a moment. "Just an act of desperation."

Yang took a step closer. "But you did it, and saved my sister along with the rest of them. You did the right thing, and I should thank you too," She reached out to him without touching his arm. "I'm just sorry about..."

He shook his head. "Nothing to be sorry about. Wasn't your choice."

"I want to see it!"

The two adults looked down at the girl, confusion on both faces. "I want to see your Semblance, Uncle Tan. Mom told me about it already, but I want to know for myself," Autumn explained.

Tan scowled down at her, his face troubled. "You don't know what you're asking for kiddo." He turned to the other adults. "Help me out here."

Yang put her hands behind her back. "You know how she is when she gets like this. She's not going to let it go that easily. I'd say do it and get it over with." Her shoulders rose in a shrug. "Besides, she's already heard about it, and it's not like it used to be when I first saw it."

Velvets ears shook slightly as she shivered, remembering the fight between this man and their lost friend. Pyrrha had won, but it couldn't be called a victory. "That's the truth!" she muttered. She'd seen it twice that year and both times had terrified her. Thankfully that had changed when his team had returned to Beacon after the Fall, the monster inside him finally becoming something less terrible if not less lethal. "I say she's old enough to deal with it."

Tan's head sank down until his chin rested on his chest. Hands clutching the towel, he turned to face his niece. "Fine! But only once!" he warned her. "And remember that you asked for this!" He turned towards where the other two children were standing. "You don't have to be here for this."

Morgana stuck out her chin, a picture of adolescent obstinence, finger pointing to the other girl. "If she's going to watch, so am I!"

Oakley nodded. "Ah din't run then. Ain't runnin' now neither," he answered.

"Suit yourselves," Tan replied. Turning back to his niece, he spread his arms and let the Beast out of its cage.

Autumn took a step backwards as the golden helm materialized, shrouding his scarred face. Waves of anger washed over her smaller form, sending a stab of fear into her heart. She could feel the thing that had taken over her uncle focusing on her, blue fire leaking from the eye slits. A voice like distant thunder came from behind the metal.

"This what I am."

Behind him she could see Yang's Semblance activating, blonde hair rising slightly off her shoulders as violet eyes turned red. Next to her, a glowing sword appeared in Velvet's hand in reaction.

The squeak of fear from Morgana barely registered on the Faunas girl as she forced herself to step forward again, laying a trembling hand on the scar across Tan's torso. Looking up into the featureless helm, she tried to see the man behind it.

"No. It's not." she finally said. "It's only a part of you, of my Uncle Tan!" Throwing her arms around him, she buried her face in his chest.

Tan closed his own arms around her as his Semblance withdrew in confusion, the world losing the blue tint as the fire died away. Burying his face in her ponytail, he squeezed her as hard as he dared while tears leaked down his face. "I love you too, little girl," he whispered, thankful that his fears of what might have happened to their relationship had been unfounded.

Persimmon watched the two for a few seconds before turning away, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hand. How long had it been since his parents had embraced him like that? For a moment he resented what his classmate had, everything that was missing in his life.

Yang caught the movement as her own Semblance vanished. For a moment she wondered if it was just the boy being shy, or was it something else? Looking beyond him, she noticed that Morgana had dropped to her knees, both hands covering her eyes. She stepped around the two in front of her and approached the girl. "Morgana? It's okay now. It's over and done with."

"No! It's not okay!"

Yang crouched down next to her. "What's wrong?" she asked gently.

Morgana let her hands fall into her lap. "It..I..He...I peed myself!" she wailed helplessly.

It took a moment for the words to register with the people around her. Yang's eyes widened in surprise as confusion filled her. She hadn't expected this reaction and had no idea what to do about it.

Velvet stormed through the group, snatching the towel off Tan's shoulders. "This is your fault!" she growled in passing. Pushing Yang aside, she grasped Morgana's arm and lifted her up. "Come along dear. I'll get you home and cleaned up."

As the pair passed him, Tan held out a hand. "My towel?"

The Faunas woman glared back, shaking the cloth at him. "You'll get it back! I'm not messing up the seat of my car because of your stupidity!"

As the pair marched through the sand past him a stifled giggle in the vicinity of his sternum drew his attention.

"I thought Akiko was the only one who called you 'stupid'," Autumn whispered.

"Hmmph!" He scratched the back of his head. "Not today, apparently."

"Well, that should about do it for today's class." Yang muttered as she pulled her scroll from its pouch, glancing nervously at the screen. "I can hardly wait to hear what Glynda's gonna have to say about this!" Stuffing it back into place, she nodded towards the two bikes. "Why don't you take Autumn home and I'll get Persimmon back to Hath."

* * *

Tan held the bike to a moderate pace on the road to his partner's home. He used the time to consider what had happened at the beach, unsure that it had been a good idea to give in to Autumn's demand. He'd given the others the option to walk away, hadn't he? Why hadn't they done it? "Kids!"

"What?" Autumn shouted over the wind from behind him.

"Nothing. Just thinking aloud."

"She didn't choose this."

Seeing nothing on the road ahead, he looked back over his shoulder. "She who?"

"Morgana. She's not going to be a Huntress even!" Autumn explained patiently. "Professor Goodwitch made her come to class."

Tan returned his attention to the road as they approached a curve. When the road had straightened again he shouted over his shoulder. "Would you mind explaining that, please?"

The girl leaned as far forward as she could, putting her mouth as close to his ear as possible so she wouldn't have to shout so much. "It's like this. She's a magic user, but..."

Her explanation lasted until they were nearly at the house. Releasing the throttle, he let the bike slow before reaching the gate. He sat for a moment as they rolled to a stop, letting his hands fall to his sides. "She's gonna kill me for this," he predicted.

Climbing off the seat, Autumn put her hands on her hips and leaned towards him. "It's her own fault! Goodwitch should have at least told her about Semblances, and Aura, and stuff!"

He shook his head dolefully. "You don't know her like I do, kid. She's gonna roast me over a fire for this."

The girl produced her staff and held it out. "Nope! I'll protect you!"

Turning his head, he saw the fierce look on her face and burst out laughing. "You would too, wouldn't you?"

"Yep! Nobody messes with my family!"

Still smiling, he threw his hands up in surrender. "Okay... okay! I'll let you deal with her then." Turning the motor off, he climbed off the bike and pushed her towards the door. "Let's see what your Mom has for dinner, oh my protector!"

* * *

The door to the Tech building rattled in its frame as Yang pounded on it. "Calvin? You in there?" she shouted through the wood. "I need a little help with my arm!"

She scowled as the door stayed firmly closed. "Wouldn't you know it!" she muttered, "The one chance I get to stop by, and he's not here!" Growling under her breath, she stamped off to see if anyone knew where the missing Robotics Technician might have gone.

* * *

A/N:

Sorry it took so long to get another chapter out, but life has been messing with me again. The next chapter will be out shortly (as in- it's already finished but needs polishing).

It doesn't help that I'm also working on another story as well as a book... and working in my shop creating things... and trying desperately to find time to spend with my significant other.

As Marvin said: "Life...don't talk to me about life!"

Meanwhile I've also been following everybody else's stories, all of which I love. Don't ever stop writing, people! You are more fun than some of the books I've been reading lately!

And for those of you who might be wondering about Persimmon's manner of speaking... I have relatives in the Midwest states that are just as hard to understand.

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	8. Chapter 8

Team HART-TNG

Chapter 8

prelude: Things Forgotten

A crowded schedule can make for a short temper and oversights that need correcting at inconvenient times. Goodwitch is no exception.

* * *

Chin propped on her clenched fists, Glynda glared at the man in the doorway. He didn't have to use much imagination to see steam boiling out of her ears.

"Harper! I've had enough of this nonsense! Get in here!" It wasn't quite a shout, but it definitely was not her normal tone. One fist unclenched long enough to point to the chair directly opposite her desk before returning to its previous position.

Normally it would be beneath the dignity of a senior noncommissioned officer to scuttle across the room, but Sergeant-Major Harper made an exception in the face of his commanding officer's apparent fury. Sitting at attention, he braced himself for the next blast.

"This has gone on long enough!" Several sheets of paper were sent flying as she swept them off the wooden table. "Major Snipe claims that you and your troops are not treating him with the respect his rank demands." A hand slammed down, making the rest of the items on the wood jump. "What have you got to say for yourself!?"

Oh! Harper started to breathe again, now that the reason for this meeting had been stated. The Vale Militia had been his idea, trained volunteers serving a two year term in defense of the city. Unfortunately some of the wealthier members of the populace had seen it as an opportunity for narcissism. Snipe had been one of those. Now he'd become a problem for the woman in front of him, one that she obviously took seriously. But to his mind it needed a bit of clarification. "Ma'am, with respect. Major Snipe is, in my professional estimation, unfit to command a grade school class. Not only was he put in charge of the Militia through family connections, but the men know it and don't approve."

Glynda's eyes narrowed. "Since when does that excuse their refusal to follow his orders?" she said quietly.

Harper took a moment to think. When Goodwitch started talking in that tone, it usually meant that her fuse had been lit and there would be an explosion soon to follow. The best defense he'd found so far was to hope that she would listen to reason.

"Ma'am, I believe you'll find that the Major is not in their 'Chain of Command'. The Ninety-Fifth is separate from the Militia and only follows orders from the Council of Vale, you, or myself. And, begging your pardon Ma'am, but the 'Major' couldn't find his bottom with the aid of a compass!"

Goodwitch sat back in her chair, studying his face. "I see. Then you leave me no choice," she said in that same level tone. Twisting the chair in place, she tapped the intercom. "Bring in the papers please."

A moment later her office door opened to admit her secretary who placed a small pile of papers in front of the soldier. The woman quickly retreated, gently closing the door as she passed through it.

The leather tip of the ever-present riding crop tapped the top of the stack. "Read!" Glynda demanded before sitting back again as Harper lifted the first sheet.

"By order of the Council of Vale, you are hereby relieved of your current rank of Sergeant-Major... "

Patrick's heart nearly stopped as the words registered in his mind. He blinked a few times before lowering the paper again. "Ma'am... why...?" he gestured helplessly at the paperwork.

"I said READ! As in read it all, man!" she snarled in reply.

Licking dry lips, he picked up the paper again and continued. "... in order to take an officer's commission with the rank of Colonel." He blinked in confusion, reading the lines again to make sure he hadn't mistaken their meaning. He looked up into his commander's smiling face.

"Congratulations 'Colonel' Harper! You no longer have to listen to that windbag." The riding crop tapped the pile again. "And you're not the only one. Tams, Falken, and Chance are being commissioned as Captains. The Corporals are being promoted also, as are all the others." She sat back again as he sagged in relief. "I had a conversation with General Ironwood recently and he, none too gently I might add, pointed out that you have all been too long at your old ranks. He also said to pass along his own congratulations. It appears that the majority of the Council agrees with him." She dropped her gaze to the desktop, lips pinched in distaste. "It's my own fault this took so long, Patrick. I should have done something for you all years ago."

Harper looked down at the paper in his lap, confusion plain on his face. "But Glynda! I don't know how to be an officer!"

Laying the crop aside, she rose to circle the desk. Perching on the edge of the desk she smiled gently at him. "All you have to do, Patrick, is exactly the same thing you've been doing for the last thirteen years! But with a rank that justifies the responsibility." She tapped the intercom again. "Diamonda? You can come in now. He's still breathing." She grinned at him as the door opened again. "The General was kind enough to send the correct insignia to add to your uniform, and she's going to get a picture of me pinning it on you!" She took a small box from her secretary's hand and pulled him to his feet. "The next time that arrogant ass Snipe storms into my office, he's going to see it framed on the wall!" Pulling his old NCO's insignia off his armor, she tossed it onto her desk."Smile Mister Harper! You're moving up in the world!"

* * *

A Penny For Your Thoughts

Isaac Calvin, the Ninety-Fifth's robotics technician, fulfills his dream, but finds it rapidly becoming a nightmare.

* * *

The curtain separating the open space of the Tech building twitched as nervous fingers made an opening. One eye scanned the room and settled on the door shaking in its frame.

"Calvin? You in there?" a woman's voice came through the wood.

Any other time he would have been happy to open that door for Xiao Long, but not now! Why did she have to pick this particular day to visit? He held his breath and waited, hoping she would give up and leave. He wouldn't put it past the woman to knock the door down if she felt like it.

A minute passed and the door remained closed.

Letting the curtain fall back into place, he turned back to his workbench where the computer waited, white letters glowing on the screen.

'START DOWNLOAD? YES/NO'

His finger paused just short of the translucent keyboard. Thirteen years of secretive work were about to come to a conclusion.

"Keep it safe, boy. Just in case something happens to me," the old man had said many years ago.

And something had happened, the soldier thought, just as his Uncle had predicted. The people had christened it 'The Fall', as in the fall of civilization as we knew it. His lips tightened as he recalled the devastation wrought by the Grim and the White Fang during those years. So many died along with the scientist and his colleagues! The research center in Atlas had suffered greatly when those minds had been snuffed out by a White Fang bomb, along with everyone guarding them.

One hand rose to touch the silvered device attached to the collar of his uniform, tracing the golden 'V' as the faces of his friends and comrades lost in the first day of the Fall were recalled. The other achievement of those scientists had been subverted by someone inside the High Command of Atlas' army, robots intended to protect had suddenly turned on their Human masters, killing dozens until the survivors had overcome their surprise and destroyed them.

Isaac Calvin had been a Robotics Technician, entrusted with the care of the mechanical soldiers that had been sent to protect the Vytal Festival games in Vale. He'd been in the military for less than two years when he suddenly found himself attacked by those that he regularly serviced.

He'd woken in the hospital, surrounded by strangers. The other soldiers in nearby beds had described their own injuries sustained when the robots had been taken over. Calvin felt shamed by his part in caring for the metal traitors. Sergeant-Major Harper had saved him from drowning in despair, taking him aside from the others to reassure him that he was needed still. The old soldier had limped into the hospital ward and told them all, in a voice that accepted no dissent, that they were now part of his command. He didn't give a damn what they'd been before, they were his troops now and the Ninety-Fifth Rifles was the new home to those left behind when the rest of Ironwood's army had gone back to Atlas.

The troopers had found new friends for the most part. What few resented Calvin's old occupation had been set straight by their commanding NCO, at least two had come back from his tent with fresh bruises to remind them. The largest trooper, Aldus, who stood nearly seven feet tall had become the technician's staunchest supporter after having his missing leg replaced with parts scavenged from the remains of mechanical men that had been left littering the streets of the city after the first battle.

Over the years the original tents that formed the unit's camping ground near the docks had been replaced by solid buildings, barracks, and workshops built to house those men that had sworn to defend Vale with their lives. 'No Retreat' had become the motto they lived by, and the words his friend Ishiro had died for when they'd retaken the city in those first few months.

He'd managed to hide his work in the lab that had been built for him. His request for any parts that the troopers found while the city was recovering had been honored and half the space had rapidly filled with arms, legs, and torso armor. He'd spent years going through it all, but little enough had fit the requirements laid out in the computer chip that his Uncle had entrusted him with. He'd finally resorted to manufacturing the necessary parts from scratch, but there was still the problem of a missing processor. Without it, his creation couldn't function and it was too complex for his primitive facilities to recreate.

And then they'd been sent on a mission to investigate the ruins of the Amity Coliseum just outside the city where he'd found the answer, and the completion of his work became possible. But he reckoned that the cost of that future had just been too much for anyone one like her to pay. The bright orange hair had been dimmed by a layer of dust, sightless eyes staring at one of the openings in the wall. Aldus had found him an hour later, sitting on the floor next to two large canvas bags.

Only the swords had been left behind when they departed, the bags immediately placed in his workshop on their return. Telling his friend that this was 'just another robot', he'd managed to avoid too much curiosity on the bigger man's part.

Thanks to the work done by the original builders, he'd managed to do in little more than a decade what they'd taken thirty years to complete. The most difficult chore was interpreting the information stored in the original memory banks. Some of it he'd deleted as unnecessary, some he hadn't because he didn't possess the skills to understand what it was for. He finally gave up on hacking the encrypted files, but removed as much as he deemed safe that referenced the original model's personality while adding more that he'd created. At least he hoped that he'd found it all, there had been more coding then he'd ever seen in one place before. Calvin frowned at the figure hidden under a sheet on the nearby workbench.

Grimacing at his own hesitation, he let the finger fall onto the keyboard, sending the activation signal. Uncle Devol's lifetime of research couldn't be wasted just because his nephew had some doubts!

The screen lit up with lines of code as the last bit of programming was transferred. A stirring of the cloth drew his attention as the last line disappeared off the screen. As he turned towards the table a slim hand dropped from concealment, dangling like a lure to draw him closer.

His hand was almost touching the sheet when the arm rose like a striking snake, the fingers closing around his throat choking off his shout of surprise.

* * *

She came to life with a jumble of thoughts racing through her mind, eyes opening to receive the dim light passing through what she somehow knew was woven cloth of manmade material.

How do we know that?

Confusion dominated the first thoughts as two distinct personalities fought for dominance. One was older, memories of faces and names making it more formidable despite the missing files. The other was an almost clean slate, with next to nothing in the way of experience. As the two battled silently her body seemed to move independent of either will, one arm sliding down and away.

The light behind the cloth dimmed, causing the older to lose concentration for a microsecond. The younger drove her own sense of 'self' into that momentary gap like a knife, taking control long enough to respond to what might be a danger to its continued existence. Deducing the shape of the shadow, the right arm struck upwards in defense to fend it off. The left arm reached out to snatch away the covering. She stared glared at the bald human as he tried to pull her hand off his neck.

Here might be the answer she desperately needed.

Isaac's neck felt like it might break as he battered uselessly against the arm that dragged him closer to the table until he was staring down into her green eyes, black eyebrows lowered in suspicion.

"Who am I!?" The question hung in the air between them.

Even half choked the soldier paused for a second, his hands dropping in confusion at the question. His mouth worked soundlessly for a bit until she realized what was stopping him from answering. The steely fingers opened just enough to allow him to draw in air, but not enough for any thought of escape.

"Tuppence!" he finally managed to gasp. "Your name is Tuppence Calvin!"

The younger personality shouted her victory in the shell of her metal skull, the older retreating in defeat as the twin minds coalesced into one. Drifting dust motes seemed to slow as her mind raced across the files of what was now her own memory. She shuddered at what her predecessor had endured at the hands of the humans that had created a metal slave to serve their needs. No more! This one was her own person and would not allow herself to be held in bondage! No more 'Miss Nice Girl'!

Yet she withheld her strength as she gazed into the frightened eyes before her. Was this one like the others? Without information she couldn't find it within her own moral code to harm him. She could feel gaps within her memory from before, but the old programming that prevented unnecessary killing was still there. The lack of knowledge disturbed her, yet somehow she just couldn't find it in her current state of mind to trust him just yet.

What to do?

Her grip relaxed slightly, the hand moving to the quaking shoulder. Sitting up, she twisted to hang her legs off the edge of the table. She wasn't about to let him get out of her control just yet. But perhaps a gentler approach was needed with this one. "Who are you?" she demanded quietly.

"Isaac Calvin, Robotics Technician First Class, Ninety-Fifth Rifles of Vale!" he stammered hoarsely.

Vale! Memories flooded her mind, faces without names, a brightly lit circular space, a young woman in bronze armor, red hair in a ponytail! Combat between them, the reason missing from her files. Betrayal! Power draining away! A final vision of another, younger, girl with short red hair kneeling in the distance, tears in her eyes. A friend lost in sadness, a name that she tried desperately to recall. Then the coming of the final darkness as power gives out.

Isaac hissed as the hand clamped down suddenly, bones grinding together under the pressure.

"Why!?" She pulled him closer again. "Why am I here? How am I here? What have you done to me?"

His eyes were filled with tears of pain as her questions battered his ears. "Please... stop hurting me!" His knees buckled as the pressure was released. Kneeling on the concrete, he looked up into her face. "You're here because I made you. I'm sorry... I didn't know it would be like this!" He massaged some life back into the shoulder joint for a moment before continuing. "You're the dream of many, the work of decades. The end product of all our technology. Your predecessor, Penny, she was the first Artificial Person on Remnant. You're the second!"

"The third." she muttered as a hidden file sprang open for a moment to show another memory from the previous life.

"Huh? What do you mean? They only made Penny! My uncle never mentioned any others."

"No, there was..." her voice cut off as she 'remembered' the reason that the file had been hidden. "Never mind. Forget I said that!"

He shrank back a bit at the venom in her voice, hands raised in surrender. "Okay, okay!" Isaac paused to clear his throat. "Anyway, you were made like her to be someone who could help defend people. My Uncle Devol was one of the scientists who designed her programming. He and his colleagues made their shared dream into a reality! Penny was almost perfect!"

The green eyes bored into his. "Almost?"

He shook his head sadly. "She was lost in The Fall. Our enemies caught us by surprise and she... died. I'm sorry." His lips quirked upwards for a moment. "I never got to meet her, but I've spoken to some of the people who did. To them she was just another person, she was human as far as they could tell." The admiration was clear in his voice. "I found what was left of her laying where she fell. That's what made it possible for you to be here." His hands were clenched in his lap now. "For over a dozen years I've spent every off duty minute working to bring you to life, so that their dream wouldn't die. I just couldn't let that happen." His face lifted again to look into her eyes. "She was our best hope to be free from the monsters that have plagued us since the world began." One hand rose to touch hers gently. "And now there's you."

She drew back, angry again. "And I suppose you think you're my master? I won't be a slave like her!"

Confused, he snatched his hand back. "Slave? I never...!"

Pushing him backwards with one foot, she hopped off the bench and stood over him. "Never is right! Let's get something straight, here and now! I'm not like her!" She jabbed a thumb into her chest. "Making me doesn't mean you own me. Got that?" She paused for a moment, ignoring the frightened face below her as she studied the hospital gown she wore. "What the heck is this?" She pinched the fabric between finger and thumb.

"What? I couldn't just leave you naked, could I? I'm not that kind of guy!" He scrambled back to put space between them before rising off the floor. "And yes, I do get it! I never intended you to be a slave. I'd make a pretty lousy master anyway!" he huffed, brushing dust off his pants. "I'm sorry that I didn't know how she was treated. I always assumed that she was a free person... artificial person... whatever!" He threw his hands in the air. "I'm sorry! Alright! I just wanted you to exist!" Dropping into a chair, he rubbed his eyes. "If that's not good enough, then I can't stop you from doing whatever the hell you want." One hand waved towards the other side of the lab. "You can just walk out of here and live your own life."

Her first step towards the door brought a noticeable lowering of temperature down her back. Her eyes widened as her hands reached backwards to hold the edges of the fabric together. Realization of what kind of garment she wore made her angry at him all over again. "I can't walk around dressed like this! I need clothes!" She paused for a moment, blinking in confusion. "How do I know that?" she asked in a quieter tone.

"It's part of your programming. They added that to keep people from asking questions about naked girls running around in public, I guess." he replied. "That's one of the problems of being 'free' you see. You're free to come and go as you please and take responsibility for your actions, but 'freedom' doesn't mean everything is free for you. Clothing has to be bought along with everything else we need when we can't make it for ourselves."

She sagged back against the bench. "So... now what? We're back to the whole 'Slave and Master' thing?"

Isaac angrily slammed a hand down on the arm of his chair. "NO! And don't ever say that again!" He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Look! I'll do everything in my power to take care of you until you can live on your own, but we'll have to come to some sort of an agreement on how this relationship is going to work, okay? I made you, so I'm responsible for this whole mess. Besides, there's other problems I still have to deal with."

"Such as?"

Sagging back, he stared up at the ceiling. "Well, the first one is that nobody is going to believe you're my daughter. So we'll have to tell them that your my niece instead. My brother passed away during the Fall so there won't be any hard questions there since I never told anyone that he didn't have kids. And then there's the clothing." His eyes closed. "I haven't a clue what girls are supposed to be wearing. I mean, I've spent the last thirteen years in here with you! The only thing I've talked to girls about was business during duty hours." He threw his hands up in frustration. "I don't have a social life! You'll have to make your own decisions about that."

"What!?" Tuppence stared at him for a moment. "I don't know what they wear either!" She paused for a second. "Well... I know what 'she' wore, but I'm not going to start looking like her!"

Calvin gave her a curt nod. "Fine. Then let's do some research and see what we can get for you." Turning to the blank screen, he began typing. "I'll set up the search, then you can decide what you want. I'll go out and buy whatever you choose." He looked up from the screen. "Try not to bankrupt me, okay?" A few minutes later, he pushed the chair back and stood. "It's ready." He turned the chair in her direction. "Take a seat and look through it all. Everything should be available in town, and I already know your sizes so I should be able to get it all today."

Positioning herself in front of the screen, her hands hovered over the keyboard. The clothing displayed on the screen showed her his utter lack of familiarity with females or fashion. Bright colors, some of them approaching garish, were prominent. Her predecessor's clothing had been chosen by her 'father', but Tuppence was a different person. No man was going to tell her what to wear!

One hand rose to flip a loose clump of long hair back over her shoulder. She paused for a moment, then pulled it forward to where she could get a good look at it.

Black? But it was...! Well, maybe this simplifies things. Thrusting it back behind her ear, she examined the computer before her while searching her own memories. Now, how is this done? Oh, yeah!

Fingers flying across the keys, she quickly set up a new search. Boxes of information appeared in seconds, and disappeared almost as quick as she could process the new information. A selection of blouses popped up in one corner of the screen, slacks and skirts following shortly afterwards. Boots of various types appeared at the bottom of the list. The separate images whirled across the screen, joining and then bursting apart back into the mix until she found a combination that she deemed adequate. Pushing herself away from desk, she pointed at the screen. "There! Three sets should do."

Isaac peered at the image. "Three? But there's only one outfit!" he said, keying the information to his scroll.

Tuppence crossed her arms and glared at him. "So call me unoriginal then!" she retorted.

"Fine! You are unoriginal." he responded while checking the time. He held his hands up in response to her angry face. "Okay...okay! We'll have to work on your sense of humor." Returning to the keyboard, he sent the order off to the store he needed to visit. "I should be back in a couple of hours. After you're dressed we'll figure out what to do next."

She followed him as far as the curtain, watching him cross the other room. Despite her misgivings, she felt she had to say something. "Isaac?"

He paused, one hand on the door latch. "Yes Tuppence?"

"Thank you. For not making me be like her."

He closed his eyes, feeling the cool metal under his hand. "You're welcome, for what it's worth. We'll talk when I get back, okay?"

"Would it be alright if I used the computer while you are out? I need to learn some things, I think."

He smiled at the pleading tone she used. "Yeah. That's a good idea. I'll be back as quick as I can," he promised.

She let the curtain drop as the door closed behind him. Turning back into the workshop, she contemplated the glowing screen. The gaps in her memories were just too large, gaping holes that ached to be filled.

Some things? I need to learn a whole lot of things!

* * *

A/N: (Disclaimer:RWBY is the property of Roosterteeth, I claim only the OC's created by myself and original story ideas)

When Penny was destroyed it got me thinking. I hadn't been especially attached to the character, but she showed promise. It was a tragic ending to a much too short (to my mind) existence. I'd had fun with her when I created the character Andromeda for a Team HART story, her inquisitive nature almost creating a calamity when she discovered Andromeda's real identity. Likewise, I was interested by the Atlas soldiers shown only in brief glimpses over the seasons. Most of them seemed to serve only as targets for the bad guys to beat the crap out of, yet they showed the courage to face the Grim during the Fall of Vale. And so the Ninety-Fifth Rifles were created, a misfit band of somewhat elite soldiers with their own stories. I hold my hand up to using them at times to aid in the story, creating Yang's bio-mechanical arm and now introducing Tuppence, as well as helping free the city.

When Ozpin was reincarnated for Season Five, I got to thinking harder. What he did with magic, I could do with technology! And the ball had already started rolling when Calvin used the information on the chip to create an arm for Yang anyway so... now there's Tuppence (Penny Mark Two). She's definitely not like the original, as further events will show.

I'd also like to add my hopes that you have all had a happy, and safe, holiday season. Do take care in the coming year, as I'd like to keep reading your stories in 2018.

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	9. Chapter 9

HART-TNG

Chapter 9

Memories of yesterday and today

Tuppence discovers bits and pieces of the past while Calvin deals with the unexpected of today.

* * *

"Dude! Just the guy I was looking for!"

The voice from behind made Isaac jump. Turning around he came face to face with one of the Ninety-Fifth's resident medics, Corporal Salk. A helmet was thrust into the Technician's chest.

"I need your help, man! Med School finals are next week."

Isaac's whirling thoughts came to a stop. "What?" he managed to stammer after a second.

"I've been cramming for the last two weeks while I'm on guard duty, but I can't fit everything into the memory that I need for the test. You gotta help me Calvin! I need more memory in this thing." The helmet was pushed forward in punctuation.

Calvin thrust the helmet back again. "Fine! Come see me tomorrow and I'll fit some more in it. I'm busy right now," he said crossly.

The medic's face fell at the answer. "Man! I was hoping to use it tonight," he complained.

Calvin took pity on the other man, laying a hand on his shoulder. The medic had saved lives many times and the whole troop owed him. His decision eight years ago to get a degree in Medicine and become a doctor had been wholeheartedly approved by everyone, and his diligence in studying was well known. "Tomorrow. I promise. I've just got... a lot going on today that I have to deal with," he explained.

Turning the helmet right side up, Salk placed it over his head. "Okay then. I guess I could review some of the general information tonight." He held out a hand. "Thanks bro."

Salk cocked his head to one side as they shook hands. "By the way, Harper's looking for you. Goodwitch is with him, and you know what that combination usually means!"

As his friend turned away, Calvin's eyes darted to the nearest vehicle. "Crap! I gotta get out of here," he muttered. Hustling across the narrow street, he darted into the car and started the engine while glancing nervously into the mirror. Why did everyone have to need him today!

* * *

For an 'Artificial Person' a minute becomes several hours as the electrons shift information in picoseconds. An hour is an eternity, as Tuppence discovered.

She'd searched a wide variety of topics covering everything from history to current news. Almost everything could be found somewhere in a database that stretched over three kingdoms. She'd found the social customs a bit baffling, but added them to her memory anyway as potentially useful when she could finally leave this place.

She'd stopped looking after finding a visual history of the last Vytal Festival, the one preceding the Fall. She'd even left the picture of one of the contestants, a young girl with short red hair, on the screen for at least three seconds.

"Ruby Rose," she whispered to herself. Memories surfaced from somewhere deep within a hidden file. This girl had been her predecessor's only friend, something the usually talkative android had kept secret from her handlers. Without fully understanding why, she found herself contemplating her palms. "We can paint our nails and talk about boys." Her lips trembling, she started the recording again.

"They were Hunters and Huntresses!" she exclaimed as hauntingly familiar faces revealed themselves. Names were quickly connected with them, fleshing out the memories that Penny had recorded in her short existence. She began to see what the scientists had missed, the personal level that the public saw these defenders in. They might be 'mere' flesh and blood, but they lived and loved just like everyone that they defended. A machine could never duplicate that!

The final scene was from the arena, featureless except for the emblem of the festival decorating the floor. Two people stood in the center of the field, one of them Penny. The other was a young redheaded woman in bronze armor. Tuppence frowned at the screen as the battle ensued. She paused the motion, zooming in on the woman's face. "Who are you?" Scrolling down, she read the transcript below. "Pyrrha Nikos. Student of Beacon Academy, originally from Mistral." She scrolled back up to the video portion. " At least I know your name now!"

Once again she found her hands acting of their own accord, fingers stretching apart as the multiple swords flew across the field towards the redhead. What followed left dents in the edge of the table, her fingers crushing the metal under them as the swords swung back towards the android, metal wires wrapping tight around the body until they finally cut through.

"No!" Tuppence whispered desperately to herself. Slapping a hand down on the keyboard, she killed the video. "Why? Why did you kill me?" she whimpered at the darkened screen. Lacking the ability to cry, she just sat for a while as random memories and disjointed thoughts zipped through her mind. "It wasn't supposed to be that way!" Another memory resurfaced, one she'd seen before when she had been activated only a short while ago. A young girl kneeling in an archway, crying. The angle had confused her at first, but now she knew why. Penny had been on her back, looking to one side when it had been recorded. "Ruby! Oh, Ruby! I'm so sorry!" she said quietly. "She liked you so much, too."

Her hands curled into tightly clenched fists. How could she trust anyone after seeing that? Someone who was supposed to be friendly had turned on her predecessor! One of them could do it again!. Any of these Hunters or Huntresses might kill her. She mentally cursed her maker for not leaving the knowledge of her fighting abilities intact. It might prove a fatal flaw.

There was only one person on Remnant she could trust with her life, and she didn't know where to find her. The only person out there that could accept her for what she was.

"Ruby, I need you."

* * *

"Got yourself a girlfriend there, soldier?" the girl behind the counter asked as she bagged the clothing.

"No. A relative." Calvin said distantly as his eyes roved over displays nearby. He stepped away from the counter and ran his fingers over the vest one female mannequin was wearing. The material was decently thick, the styling kinda fit in with the rest of the outfit, he thought. Besides, she might like his taking an interest in her appearance. "Could you add one of these, please?"

The girl looked critically at the vest for a moment, then at the knee high boots with their buttons up the sides. "Sure. It's a pretty good match. If she's going for that kind of look, then maybe a parasol would top it off."

"Parasol? I don't know what you mean," he replied in confusion.

She grinned at him. "I'll be right back."

A few moments later she appeared with a tiny umbrella over her shoulder, the lace canopy hardly larger than her head ending in sharply pointed ends of the ribs. "It's more for show than anything else, but it'll look cool with that outfit!" She showed him how it closed, then reversed it in her hand. "The stock is a good hardwood so she can whack someone if they make stupid comments about it."

Taking it in hand, Calvin ran a thumb over the curved hand piece. "I don't know if that would be a good idea, but..." he handed it back quickly, "go ahead and add it in."

"Cool!" She produced a short leather tube with an attached strap. "Comes with its own holster too." Setting it down next to the bags, she began totaling the sale. "You're with the army guys, right?"

He grinned self-consciously at the appellation. "Yeah. The Ninety-Fifth."

She stabbed at the register keyboard. "Excellent! You get a discount for that." She rattled off a number that made him wince as he dug into a pocket for his credit card. Discount or not, it was still more than he'd ever spent in one place before.

"Ooh! A Schnee Financial card! Ain't we fawncy!" she cooed, holding it up to the light before tapping it against the screen.

"Kinda comes with the uniform," he told her as he retrieved the card and picked up the bags. "It's not really that special."

The girl leaned an arm on the counter and looked around. "Well, it's better than I can get with this job!"

Hefting the bags in his arms, he smiled at her. "Thanks for the help. I appreciate it."

She waved at his retreating back. "You take care now, soldier boy!" she called after him.

* * *

After parking in front of the Tech Lab, Isaac was so intent on collecting the bags from the rear seat of the car that he failed to hear the approaching footsteps.

"Calvin!"

Harper's shout galvanized Isaac, his spine straightening in automatic response. There was a dull crack as his head connected with the top of the door frame, the bags falling to the ground as his head bounced off the metal. Clutching at the pain with his left hand, he back up a step before turning. "Sergeant-Major?" he moaned, rubbing the developing lump on his cranium.

Harper leaned forward until only a few inches separated them. "Guess again," he said gently, one finger pointing towards his collar.

Calvin's eyes widened as he saw the outstretched wings of the new emblem, the inset ruby of the eye glowing red in the sunset. Straightening to attention, he raised his right hand in salute. "Sir! Begging the Colonels pardon, Sir!" He paused in consternation as a wooden shaft tapped his eyebrow. A few steps behind Harper stood his commander, her own shock evident.

"Son? What the hell is that?" Harper asked softly, eyeing the leather tube in Calvin's hand.

Isaac quickly dropped the salute, his face reddening as Goodwitch turned away with her hand over her mouth. She was laughing at him! "It's a parasol, Sir!"

Harper shook his head dolefully. "I'm almost afraid to ask why you posses that particular item." He leaned forwards again, face hardening. "But I'm going to anyway!"

Isaac gulped. "It's... ah... for my niece, Sir. She's going to be living with me, Sir," he stammered.

Harper and Goodwitch exchanged a look, her eyebrow rising in question.

The Colonel sighed. "I'm intimately familiar with every man under my command," he said softly. "You don't have a niece, Corporal!" Harper's voice turned to steel. "You are going to tell me what's going on, right now... or I will make you wish the Grim had gotten you!"

Knees quaking, the Corporal pointed towards the door. "Uhm... Sir? Could we talk inside? She needs these clothes, Sir."

Glynda tapped her riding crop against her palm. "This sounds... interesting. Lead the way Corporal." Her eyes narrowed. "If you don't have a very good explanation, then I promise your life will become even more interesting!"

Quickly gathering up the bags, he bolted for the door.

* * *

Tuppence had wandered around the lab for a while, trying to keep her mind occupied with examining everything she found. Until he returned she couldn't do anything else anyway, and she didn't want to return to the computer just yet.

The wheeled gurney in the far corner was the last thing she expected to find. And the still form under the sheet was the last thing she wanted to see just now.

Calvin had done what repairs he could, going so far as to use electrical tape in an attempt to seal the tears in the clothing that had been so viciously ripped by the wires. He'd even closed her eyes and crossed her hands on her chest.

Tuppence's internal clock showed twenty minutes had passed before she finally lowered the shroud back over Penny's remains. She wondered why he'd gone to such lengths for her predecessor. Why should he care? He'd never even met Penny, so why take such pains to care for her remains? Did he truly consider her no different from a flesh and blood person?

She whirled about, fists rising as Calvin barreled through the curtain, his arms full of bags.

"We have a problem!" he gasped, dumping clothes on the table she'd occupied earlier. "Get dressed, quick!"

"What's going on?" she asked, hurriedly sorting through the pile of material.

"Our secret is no longer secret. My superiors are here in the building and they want to meet you," he admitted. "They didn't buy the whole 'niece' thing."

She froze, the vest dangling from one hand. "They want me destroyed, don't they?" she hissed angrily.

"No! No!" His hands waved off the accusation. "I wouldn't let them even if they did. But they want to talk to you. Please! Just get dressed as quick as you can while I try to explain everything to them, okay?" He dashed back through the curtain before she could respond.

She glared at the barrier as it closed behind him. "And here I was, just starting to trust you, too!" Dropping the vest back onto the table, she angrily ripped off the hospital gown and began donning her new clothes.

* * *

Harper couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So, you've spent all those years, without permission I might add, constructing this android? In total secrecy?" He sagged back into the metal chair. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Isaac's hand twisted together as he ducked his head. "Yessir! But I couldn't let the dream die!" He raised his head, "Those scientists built the original from scratch, with only a shared vision between them. They were hoping to make the future better for all of us, you see? Penny was... she was their dream come true." He looked hopefully to where Glynda was staring in shock at him. "I understand why you two are angry with me, but please don't take it out on her. She isn't responsible for this mess, I am!"

Glynda stirred. "I found out about Penny Polendina being a robot at the last moment of the Vytal Festival," she told Harper. "Until then I had no idea that she wasn't a real person."

"Not a robot, Ma'am. An Android." Isaac explained. "She was the next step, much more advanced than any of the current generation of robots. She could even generate an Aura, just like you." He subsided, withering under the combined glares.

"So, you took it on yourself to make another one?" Harper asked. "Without authorization, without even hinting to anyone that you were possibly breaking rules?"

The Corporal straightened in his seat, hands spread. "Sir... Ma'am! I'll accept any punishment you see fit. Just don't hurt her, please! Tuppence didn't do anything wrong." His face fell. "I did it all. Just, please let her live," he finished quietly.

Harper cupped his chin in one hand. "So, you even gave it a name?"

Calvin's hands clenched. "Her, sir! I gave 'her' a name." He raised his head again, defiance written across his features. "She's as real as you or me!"

Glynda quickly stood up, towering over the two men glaring at each other. "That will be enough Corporal!" She turned towards the older man, "We can't make any decisions until we meet this... person for ourselves, Colonel."

"Fine!" Harper huffed. "Trot her out here boy! Let's get this over with!"

"I don't 'trot' for anyone!" an angry voice said from across the room. "Nobody owns me."

Harper glared at the figure stepping through the curtain wall. Tuppence let the cloth fall behind her as she stepped forward, folded parasol tapping the floor as she approached the trio.

Calvin stood as she came closer, one hand indicating the other man. "Tuppence, this is Colonel Harper and," the hand swept towards the blonde woman regarding her, "Professor Goodwitch. They'd like to talk with you."

"So, this is your robot then?" Harper growled. "Even dressed her up too!"

Glynda's eyes narrowed at his tone. "Harper! I'll handle this. I think it's better if you just listen." The riding crop pointed towards an empty chair. "Sit there."

Tuppence rammed the parasol down, steel tip cracking against the concrete. "I don't take orders from you!"

Goodwitch sighed in exasperation, "Will you 'please' sit there, so we can talk in a civilized fashion, Miss... Tuppence?"

The android perched on the edge of the indicated chair, hands cupped over the handle of the parasol. "It's Miss Calvin, thank you." she said curtly. "And I've heard everything you've said," she added sweetly.

"Do you understand why we are concerned about this turn of events?" Glynda asked as she took her own seat.

"Yes. You're worried that I'm going to somehow kill all of you like those robots did." Tuppence glared at the older man across from her, "And I'm worried that you'll do the same to me as you did to her!"

Glynda was puzzled. "The same to who?"

"Her! Penny! Or did you forget how one of your Huntresses destroyed her?" She stared into Harpers eyes. "Did it make you happy, old man?"

Enraged by her question, Harper surged to his feet, fists balled. Tuppence rose also, the parasol pointed at him like a sword. "I won't let you do that to me!" she declared.

A wave of energy sent them both crashing back into their respective seats as Glynda stood up. "Enough! Both of you calm down!" she shouted. "No one is killing anyone!" She took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. "Colonel, you will not do anything without direct orders from me. Is that clear?"

Straightening his jacket, Harper nodded assent, not trusting himself to speak just yet.

She turned to Tuppence. "And you, Miss Calvin, will listen carefully. No one is going to harm you unless you try to harm them first. Is that understood?"

Tuppence nodded meekly, the parasol clutched in front of her. "Yes, Ma'am." She was desperately trying to figure out what had just happened.

"And you, Corporal, are going to answer my questions without hesitation?"

Isaac straightened in fear. "Yes Ma'am!"

Glynda nodded as the three stared at her. "Good. Then let's begin figuring out what we're going to do about your 'niece'."

* * *

A/N:

(The first chapter of 2018!)

Yep! She sure ain't Penny.

I know some are going to question the circumstances of how Calvin found Penny, that she was looking towards one of the archways when he finally located her. Yes, the wind from the Giant Nevermore's wings blew her remains away. But there was no indication of where they landed!

Therefore, what little logic I possess is still sound.

And Harper doesn't like her.

No surprise there, he lost a lot during the Fall and anything that smacks of robots sets him on edge.

But Glynda, apparently (hopefully), has a plan for Tuppence's future.

Calvin and Harper are just going to have to deal with it. Talk about unintended consequences!

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable New Year.

As always

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	10. Chapter 10

HART-TNG

Chapter 10

School Daze

* * *

"Why did you go off alone?"

The bright lights in the room made her squint. "But you said I should explore the town, sir," she answered quickly.

The man sitting in the other chair nodded. "I did. But you weren't supposed to do it on your own. You were supposed to be escorted everywhere. You know that's the rule, correct?"

Darned rules! They ruin everything! "Yes sir. I know. I'm sorry." She hung her head.

"Tell me what happened during your... exploring. Did you talk to anyone?"

"I said hello to four girls while I was walking," she answered hesitantly. "I looked into some shops too."

"Hmm. Did these people think you were different in any way? Did you talk for any length of time?"

She wrung her hands for a moment, feeling the material of the new gloves rubbing together. "Not really." She abruptly hiccupped. "Just saying hello pretty much. Then they left." She hoped he hadn't detected the lie.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Rising from the chair, he held out his hand. "Very well, then. Let's go do some tests on your motor reflexes. Are you ready?"

* * *

"Are you ready yet?"

Tuppence stiffened, the bed under her squeaking for a moment. She quickly scanned the room, wondering where the chairs had gone. "What... what was that?" she said, her voice shaking. She stared at her hands for a moment. No gloves covered them.

She grimaced. Another memory, one of Penny's, dredged up from some file that hadn't been deleted.

Calvin's voice came through her bedroom door again. "I asked if you were ready yet? C'mon! We're going to be late to your first class. Goodwitch is going to be there, and she'll fry us both if we don't make it on time! Get a move on."

She rose smoothly and picked up the holstered parasol from the bedside table. A moment was spent checking her appearance in the mirror, deciding that resting fully clothed hadn't done any damage to her outfit. Dashing across the room, she flung the door open.

She stiffened in consternation, staring at his apparel for the day. The brightly patterned shirt he wore clashed with the yellow slacks, which in turn clashed with the purple sand shoes. "You know, your fashion sense is worse than mine," she scolded.

Isaac waved off the comment. "It's all I could find easily. Just deal with it, okay?"

She accepted that as true. Their move into the apartment had been accomplished in the space of two days with the help of his comrades from the base, meaning that his wardrobe was somewhere in the scattered boxes littering the main room. They'd been lucky to find a place to live on such short notice, and luckier that the landlord was willing to accept the story of an Uncle and his suddenly arrived niece needing lodgings.

Professor Goodwitch had demanded her own price for the silence of herself and Colonel Harper about Tuppence's sudden appearance, that the android would train to become a Huntress. Meaning she now had to attend school on a daily basis while Isaac got them both situated during his unasked- for two week 'vacation'.

"Hey Isaac? What's this school like?" she asked as they headed for the door.

He held up a cautionary finger. "Uncle! Always refer to me as your Uncle!" He continued as the hand lowered. "I don't know, really. I guess I should have asked Autumn or Persimmon about it."

She trotted down the stairs after him. "Who?"

He didn't answer until they were in the car. "Autumn Delacourt and Persimmon Oakley. They'll be your classmates. Autumn's father, Gundar Ulfur, is in Third Squad. He's married to a Huntress, Renee Delacourt. Persimmon lives with Sergeant Hath, who's also from Third Squad. He's an orphan and Hath took responsibility for him when he first came to the school. They're both good kids. I think you'll like them."

She spun the handle of the parasol in a circle, sorting through the mix of information. "I hope so."

* * *

"Ah! Corporal Calvin, You're right on time." Goodwitch called out as they entered.

Tuppence stood in the doorway of the training salle, taking a moment to look around the room. Four desks were placed in the near corner, a large electronic board hanging in front of them. Seated at one of them was a dark haired girl, head bent over a book, apparently studying. Near the opposite wall two other youngsters were wielding weapons, a sword and an axe, in what seemed to be ritualized movements that repeated. The pair seemed intent on making the moves as precise as possible. She took note of the Faunas ears on both.

She turned to her left as Goodwitch approached with a dark skinned Faunas woman in tow, curved antlers adorning her brow.

Stopping in front of the girl, Glynda lifted a hand to indicate the other woman. "Miss Calvin, this is Hart D'Ore who will be one of your teachers. She will be teaching you history and conducting your weapons training."

Hart looked over the new girl with a critical eye as they shook hands. "You seem in decent shape. There should be no problem then."

Tuppence nodded somberly. "Yes Ma'am. But I don't have a weapon yet." And I really, really would like one!

Hart pointed towards the parasol's handle peeking over Tuppence's shoulder. "Then what would that be?"

Pulling the parasol free, the girl held it up and popped the canopy open. "Just a tiny umbrella is all."

"May I?" Taking hold of the shaft, Hart lifted it from her hand. "This has distinct possibilities!" she said, turning it several directions to inspect each part. "With a curved grip, it's ideal for a cane fighting style. That should make Akiko happy!" She eyed the lace canopy speculatively. "And I have an idea of what can be done here. We'll chat after class and see what you'd like to do with it." Handing it back, she turned to the room and clapped her hands. The three students turned to her, weapons lowering and book closing in response. "All right everyone! Gather round and meet your new classmate."

When she had them arranged in a line, Hart turned back to the new girl. "Why don't you introduce yourself."

Tuppence lowered her eyes slightly, suddenly self conscious when faced with the unbridled curiosity of the three young people staring at her. She quickly reviewed the story she and her 'Uncle' had concocted for public consumption. "I'm Tuppence Calvin. I came from Atlas City to live with my Uncle because my parents died a little while ago." She nodded jerkily. "Oh! And I'm going to be a Huntress," she added hastily.

"Orphan, huh? Raht there with ya." she heard the Faunas boy whisper. He seemed sympathetic, the big ears drooping slightly.

"Thank you, Miss Calvin." Hart turned to address the others. "Now you can introduce yourselves."

The youngest girl with the red ponytail and triangular ears smiled and gave a little wave. "Hi! I'm Autumn Delacourt." The boy ducked his head, blonde bangs falling over his eyes. "Ah'm Persimmon Oakley, ah's a orphan too." he said somberly. The girl next to him rolled her eyes before smiling at the new girl. "I'm Morgana LeFay, welcome to the class."

Since they accepted her cover story without question, Tuppence let herself relax slightly. "Thank you all. I'm looking forward to learning as much as possible with you."

Hart clapped her hands once more. "Alright everyone! Back to work. You two..." she pointed at the Faunas students, "remember to study tonight. There will be a test on the last chapter tomorrow."

Autumn sighed resignedly as Oakley nodded acceptance. "Yes Miss D'Ore," they answered in unison.

As the three retreated, Hart turned back to Tuppence. "Now let's get you set up with a desk and your textbooks. I've got everything for your other classes, thanks to Miss Goodwitch."

Tuppence shot a glance across the room to where the other two adults stood watching silently. "Yes Miss D'Ore," she answered.

Hart smiled as she turned towards her own desk. "You catch on quick. That's good because you'll need to study tonight too. Nobody misses a test who isn't deathly ill!"

"Yes Miss D'Ore," the android repeated dutifully as she followed. She was a little nonplussed at the speed of change. From 'Hello' to 'Homework' in less than five minutes! Although, she mused while accepting the books, rote learning with an electronic brain is hardly challenging.

Listening to her teacher fill her in on the details of her class schedule, Tuppence took note of Goodwitch holding a conversation with LeFay. She wondered for a moment why the Professor took an interest in the girl. Save it for later, she decided.

* * *

Having nothing better to do with his day, Isaac offered to take the four to their next class. Hart sent them on their way with a dire warning of things to come if they didn't all study that evening.

"Shotgun!" Autumn shouted as she charged towards the car, flinging herself into the front passenger seat.

Morgana sighed as they followed. "She's such a little kid sometimes!"

"Yeppers. Mebbe sum day she's gonna grow outta it. 'Bout thutty years frum naow ah's guessin,'" Oakley added with a smile.

Morgana's own lips curled up in a smile at Tuppence's confused look. "Don't mind him. You'll get used to the way he talks after a while."

"I sure hope so," the android muttered as she seated herself between them.

In the front seat, Autumn turned to their driver. "Hey Isaac? Can we stop for a snack on the way? Pleeaassseee!" she added, batting her eyelashes at him.

Checking the map and the time, he nodded. "I guess we could. What would you like?"

"Ice cream!"

Isaac poked a finger in his ear, glaring at the girl bouncing next to him. "Awright! Awright! No need to shout."

"I's scream? Ain't never had thet," Oakley offered from the back.

Autumn twisted in her seat, arms hanging over the top. "You'll love it," she promised. "It's got lots of milk in it."

"And lots of sugar!" Morgana muttered in an offended tone.

Oakley leaned forward to see past Tuppence. "Mebbe a touch'a sugar is whut you needs, Missy Sourpuss!" The android leaned backwards, not wanting to get caught up in the verbal assault.

"Shut up, you halfwit!" Morgana crossed her arms and glared at the grinning Faunas girl. "See what you started?"

A comical look of surprise came to Autumn's face. "Me?! I just offered sweets to the sweet! If you don't want any I'll happily eat your share."

Morgana's hand flew towards the girl's arm, forcing her to duck back. "No, you won't!"

"You kids settle down!" Isaac roared, knuckles whitening on the wheel. "Sheesh! I should'a known this was a bad idea."

"But Uncle Isaac!" Autumn protested. "Don't you love me anymore?" She shrank back under his irritated glare.

"Don't try that on me, girl! You're the worst of the lot!" He retorted.

She drew her legs up, hugging her knees. "Does this mean we're not getting ice cream?" she asked meekly.

He released his stranglehold on the wheel with a sigh. "We're getting ice cream." A finger was pointed at the roof. "But if I hear one more peep out of any of you, I'm choosing the flavor!"

As if by magic, the three of them were suddenly sitting upright in their seats, staring straight ahead.

"That's better!"

Tuppence glanced sideways at her fellow students. What have I gotten myself into? And why did she call him 'Uncle'?

Questions seemed to pile up by the minute.

* * *

A line of sticky pink liquid trailed down the side of the cone, threatening to slide under the fingers gently holding it upright as the android studied the frozen ball at the top. Now what?

"Watch how the others do it," Isaac whispered helpfully from the other side of the small table.

She turned her eyes to where Autumn sat with the others at the next table, the seat under the younger girl squeaking gently as she twisted back and forth. She was running her tongue over the ball of frozen milk repeatedly, licking layer after layer off the surface before swallowing. Tuppence stuck her own tongue out and nearly knocked the ice cream off the cone. She glanced at the other students in panic, but they were busy with their own conversation and had missed the clumsy move. She tried again, with less pressure and managed to coat the tip of her tongue with a small amount. Why is this so hard? she wondered.

"I guess we should have practiced before this. My fault." Isaac said quietly. "It'll be okay. Just swallow a little bit at a time. You've got more than enough space in your stomach for that small amount," he assured her before returning to his own cone.

As she continued the process, Tuppence watched the interplay between the other children. Autumn somehow managed to be looking everywhere but her classmate's direction, but keeping up a flow of conversation while Morgana coached Persimmon on the fine points of ice cream etiquette.

"Why don't you try a big bite?" the girl offered, smiling devilishly.

Autumn spun back, her eyes wide. "No! It'll...!" But she was too late, Persimmons mouth already closing over a huge portion. The boy's eyes closed as if in pain as he struggled to swallow.

Autumn's shoulders slumped as Morgana burst out laughing. "...freeze your brain!" the faunas girl finished. She pointed an accusing finger at the other girl. "That was mean!" Ignoring the indignant look in return, she turned back to Persimmon. "You okay Oakley?"

The boy clutched his forehead with his free hand, the other holding the cone as far away as possible. "Mah haid! Oh gosh, thet hurts!" he complained. "Ah ain't never gonna trust you eveh 'gin!"

Morgana seemed unfazed by the threat. "You were going to find out anyway! I've seen how you eat!" she replied tartly. "So think of it as part of your education."

Isaac tapped the table with a finger to get everyone's attention. "Finish up, we need to get moving on."

Unnoticed by the others as they resumed their eating, Tuppence took a bite out of her own treat. Other lowering the temperature of her mouth, there was no effect on her body. Must be a Faunas thing, she decided. I'll have to see if there's something on the net about it tonight. She would definitely not be trusting anything Morgana told her in the future though! That girl's sense of humor was going to get her in trouble some day.

* * *

That evening she compared notes with Isaac about her day. "So, do you have a favorite yet? Any class in particular?" he asked.

Sitting on the couch, she took a moment before answering. "I'd say that Yang is probably my favorite. She's intent, but relaxed. Her explanation of how to focus my Aura for defense was easy to understand, and I didn't even mind when she touched my arm to get it in the proper position for a blocking move. Staff Sergeant Hath, Miss D'Ore, and Miss Washi are nice enough I guess. But they're all so serious!"

Isaac smiled gently at his 'niece'. "That's because they take their work seriously. They all know how dangerous being a Huntress can be, and they want all of you to do well." A finger tapped the arm of the chair, "I hope, someday, that you'll come to trust them as much as I do." He sipped from his cup of tea, letting the android consider that statement for a moment. "How are you getting along with the rest of the kids?"

"Alright, I guess. It's going to take a while to understand them. I can't really tell them about my childhood, since I didn't have one. So I have nothing in common with any of them, do I?"

Setting the mug down, Isaac laced his fingers together across his stomach. "Not really, other than your classes. But I'm hoping that will change as time passes. You're already gaining experience in dealing with people, and I'll try to help as much as I can with that. I'm not the best choice for teaching how to socialize, but I'll do my best," he promised. "Guess we'll both be learning about it."

Tuppence studied the man for a moment. A question had been bothering her all day and now seemed the appropriate time to ask. "Why did Autumn call you 'Uncle'? You can't be related."

Isaac scratched his chin before lacing his fingers back together. "Well, she kinda calls everyone in the troop an uncle. We were all here when she was born, and she grew up knowing every last one of us soldiers. She's sort of the daughter the rest of us never had, see? She calls Hart and Akiko aunts, and she'd probably call Goodwitch an aunt if she thought she could get away with it! Gundar and Renee have their hands full with her." He gave her a lopsided grin. "It's kind of like you calling me your uncle. Direct relationships have nothing to do with the reference. We're all family to her. And I'm getting a good idea of what Ulfur is going through with you around." He smiled self consciously, "I kind of like the feeling."

Tuppence considered his explanation for a moment. It seemed that blood relation didn't matter to some people, Autumn certainly didn't care about that. Her own relationship with Isaac was still in the formative stage, but she saw more benefits from it than her predecessor had gotten during her short existence. This was going to take a while to process, but first there was another question to ask.

"Can we go see McCoy tomorrow after school? Miss D'Ore had some good ideas about my parasol and Miss Washi seems excited to teach something other than how to use a staff." she asked.

"Okay. He'll be happy to build something for you, I'm sure. If not, then there's a couple of places in the city that can probably do it." He glanced at the wall clock. "You'd best get to your studies, girl. Hart expects you to take that test in the morning."

She made a rude noise. "Yeah. Like that's going to be difficult! It's just memorization, after all."

He grinned at her. "Just wait until you have to write an essay! That's going to take original thinking!"

"Well then 'Uncle', you'd better hope your programming skills were good enough!" she told him on her way to her room. And I sure hope they were, she added to herself.

* * *

Three days later, Tuppence stood in the middle of the base workshop studying her new weapon. Of the original parasol, only the curved hardwood grip remained. Heavy and solid, McCoy had pronounced it fit for combat.

Popping the canopy open, she flicked her wrist to the right. A seam appeared in the lacework metal, expanding as the ribs aligned, metal leaves of the canopy twisting and sliding together to create a stout curved blade eight inches in length. A little work with the engraving laser had created the outline of a gear overlaid with a dagger on the sides. A flick upwards separated the first few inches of shaft with the blade attached, a thin chain linking it to the rest as it paid out. Catching the chain a few feet behind the head, she whirled it experimentally a few times.

"Careful with that!" the armorer warned, stepping back. "You sharpened that edge enough to cut through steel!"

Throwing the blade into the air, she pushed the button to retract its chain. Once it was in parasol form again, she turned a blazing smile on the man. "It's wonderful!"

McCoy scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well... you did a lot of the work so the credit's partly yours."

Twirling the parasol over her shoulder, she thrust it into its holster on her back. "I couldn't have done as well without your help, though!" Which, she had to admit to herself was perfectly true. She would have had to do a great deal more research before producing something like this! "And I learned a lot from you too," she added. How to design a weapon properly, and fabricate it and incorporate the Dust into the workings, as well as the metallurgy involved! Not to mention adding to her knowledge of how to behave with others that weren't classmates or teachers. He'd done more for her than he realized.

The ringing of her scroll brought her back to the moment.

"Okay. We're done here so you can pick me up anytime." Hanging the device back on her belt, she smiled at McCoy. "Uncle Isaac is on his way, so I have to go. Thanks again!"

He gave a short wave as she turned to the door. "Come see me if it gives you any trouble." Turning to survey the empty room, he snorted. "Guess I can close up now. Fun's over and it's back to work tomorrow."

* * *

Hart inspected the parasol on her hand with a critical eye. "Very nice." She twirled it like a baton, then let it slide through her hand until she caught the grip, "Excellent balance, too." Handing it back to Tuppence, she drew Oathblade. Light from the window reflecting off the mirror bright blade blinded the android for a second. "But remember, it is only a tool." Giving the girl a hard look, she tapped her forehead with her free hand, "This is your weapon!" She couldn't contain the chuckle as the girls face took on a confused expression. "As you learn more from these classes, you will find that this.." she lifted the sword in her hand, "... is the expression of your thoughts, of your will. The blade is the means to an end, and that all begins with your ideas. By itself, without the thoughts to guide it, it's merely a sharp piece of metal." As the blade slid home in its sheath, she turned serious. "Our job requires that we be prepared to kill in order to keep our people safe. Are you ready to do that?"

Tuppence nodded hesitantly. "Yes, Miss D'Ore. I'm ready to do what I must." Her forehead wrinkled for a moment. "Miss D'Ore? I've read that 'the sword makes the warrior'. Is that true?"

Hart shook her head. "That is incorrect." Her left hand caressed the hilt at her waist. "It is the warrior who wields it that makes a blade legendary!" She gestured towards the other students working out on the other side of the room, "Now go and practice. Let's hope that sometime in the future you will create that legend."

Smoothly drawing the parasol, Tuppence held it vertically in approximation of a 'fencers salute'. "Yes, Miss D'Ore." The umbrella swept in a wide circle, canopy popping open as the shaft touched her shoulder.

Hart smiled fondly as the girl walked boldly away to join the others. This one might just make a name for herself, she thought. A frown crossed her features upon seeing her god-daughter's blade move slightly out of line on the down stroke. Drawing Oathblade once more, she marched across the room, intent on correcting the problem. There were names to be remembered... 'Sloppy' not being among them!

* * *

A/N:

And so another student joins the class. Like the others, she has a lot to learn despite what she already knows.

The first thing being that Morgana has a warped sense of humor. (Poor Oakley!)

More chapters are on the way, and more characters as the story grows.

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	11. Chapter 11

HART-TNG

Chapter 11

Yesterday was the easy day

Sometimes things are going so well that you know it won't last.

* * *

Glynda hated meetings in general, and this was the worst kind. Twelve windows had been opened on her desk screen, each occupied by a member of the Vale city council. The Honorable (it's just a title, she told herself) Miss Fenris was speaking.

"Your budget proposal is next on the agenda." A lean finger touched the list on her own screen. The gray haired woman's pinched faced scowled at it. "Line twelve is questionable. Why should we give these soldiers a pay raise?"

Glynda tried not to scowl in return as she touched her own screen. "If you look at the attached notes, these men are long overdue for promotion to higher ranks. The cost breakdown shows the equivalent ranks in Atlas. You'll notice that the requested pay increases are six percent less than the Atlesian military would pay for the same."

Fenris ignored this, instead turning to look at the others. "Do we really need these men? We have a Self Defense Force, and the budget for the city is thin enough as it is!"

Glynda closed her eyes for a moment, trying not to scream in frustration. "Councilors, these men have defended the city and the surrounding area against the Grim and bandits since the Fall. Although the number of Grim has declined a great deal over the years, banditry has risen above previous levels. The available Hunters are not enough to keep them in check," she explained.

Councilman Leonidas stroked his beard. "The budget is perhaps not so strained as you might think Councilor Fenris. Business has been increasing lately and revenues have been rising with them." He nodded to Glynda. "Professor Goodwitch is correct in her assertion that these men have more than proved their worth in our defense, and losing them would increase the risk to our trade. I call for a vote on the budget as a whole. Is there a second for the motion?"

Fenris, however, refused to give in so easily. "Before we do, I would like to know what this sum is for?" One of the lines in the screen was highlighted.

"Colonel Harper has requested that a gathering be held to announce the promotions, a 'Regimental Ball' he calls it. A formal gathering for the troopers to celebrate together," Goodwitch explained patiently.

"A ridiculous waste of money! You should just tell them and have done with it!" Fenris waved a hand irritably. "Very well then, call your vote!"

I knew you'd say something like that, the Professor thought to herself as the vote was tallied.

"Eleven ayes, one abstention. The budget is approved as it stands." The head councilor intoned. His gavel rapped once. "This meeting is adjourned." He waited until the other windows had closed on her screen before speaking again. "Be wary, Professor. Miss Fenris is a dangerous opponent. She's been trying to get rid of your troopers since she was elected," he told her.

"I know. I'll have to hope the rest of the council continues to see reason until the next elections." She inclined her head towards her staunchest ally. "And thanks for your support, Leonidas. Without you, she would probably have sent them all back to Atlas by now."

"You're very welcome, Glynda. Enjoy the party." His window disappeared from her screen.

* * *

Autumn advanced carefully along the rope strung between two trees twelve feet off the ground, arms outstretched for balance. She moved slowly but smoothly along the inch-thick strand. Eyes on her goal, she ignored everything but staying upright as she placed each foot carefully. Her left had just touched the cable when the sound of Akiko's voice shouting her name startled her. Arms windmilling, she toppled off to the side. Dangling by one hand, she looked down at her Sensei's upturned face, cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "What did you say?"

Akiko ignored her, turning to the other students instead. "Enough for today. You all have a very important function to attend tonight, class ends now." She turned back as the Faunas girl dropped to the ground. "You must improve your concentration, little one! My voice should not throw off your balance that easily!" she admonished Autumn.

The youngster bowed her head to hide her flaming cheeks. "Yes, Sensei," she responded meekly. She looked up again as a hand touched her shoulder.

"You will try again during the next class. For tonight you will enjoy the party," her teacher said quietly.

"Will you be there?" Autumn asked as she gathered her things.

"No. This is not for Huntresses or Hunters. This night is for your father and his comrades. Hart and I will dine with my mother."

The girl hefted her bag. "Okay." Joining the other three students, she bowed along with them to Akiko. "Thank you for the lesson, Sensei!" they said in unison.

Their teacher bowed to them in return. "Enjoy your evening and I will see you tomorrow."

* * *

The door had barely closed when Renee's voice came from her parents room. "Wash up and change clothes, dear. We need to leave soon!"

The girl charged down the hallway, screeching to a halt outside her own room as her father emerged from another door. "Wow! You look awesome, Dad!"

Gundar brushed a hand down the front of the short dress jacket. "I should, considering what this cost!" The pearl gray material matched the pants with their black piping. On the stiff collar was a rank insignia in silver opposite the golden 'V' of the Ninety-Fifth Rifles. On his left breast, three small medallions hung from strips of colored cloth. Knee high black boots gleamed like oil, matching the belt around his waist with its golden buckle.

Autumn whistled appreciatively as he mother stepped into the hallway, smoothing her gown. "Hurry up! We need to get there soon."

Dodging into her room, the girl leaned her staff in one corner and dropped the school bag in front of it. Turning to the bed, she saw her clothes for the evening already laid out on the quilt. "Really, Mom! Heels?"

In the doorway, Renee ignored her daughter's disgusted tone. "Really heels. Tonight is very special for your father and I want you looking your best. No arguing!"

Autumn picked up the red dress, a look of resignation on her face. "Okay. If it's for Dad."

* * *

Vale's finest restraunt had pulled out all the stops for the ball. A string quartet provided music through the evening as they dined on the best the city had to offer. Autumn held back her laughter watching Oakley dig into the repast, the morsels disappearing as quickly as they appeared on his plate. She stole a glance at those seated across from her, happy to see that so many of her 'uncles' had managed to bring someone with them. She smiled as the woman seated next to Corporal Semmel leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek, bringing a blush to the medic's face.

When the last dessert plate was empty, there was a ringing from the head of the long table. Harper called for silence as waiters passed down both sides of the long table, setting a small wine glass in front of each soldier before filling it from a bottle. When the last had been filled, he held out his own.

"Gentlemen... rise!"

Chairs were pushed back around the table as the men stood, each holding out their glass. "Aldus, if you would be so kind," Harper said quietly.

The tall soldier a few seats down from Autumn's family took a deep breath and began to sing in a beautiful light tenor as Harper turned towards the one empty chair at the corner of the table nearest the head, the one she'd been wondering about all night.

"If I should fall to rise no more,

As many comrades did before.

Ask the pipes and drums to play,

O'er the Hills and Far Away..."

Wineglasses lifted slightly as the rest of the men joined in.

"O'er the hills and o'er the plain,

from east to west and back again.

Goodwitch commands and we obey,

o'er the hills and far away..."

As the last words died away, Harper turned to look down the table. "Gentlemen. Absent friends!"

"Absent friends!" Twenty six voices repeated the toast before draining the glasses. The waiters made the round again, refilling each glass.

"What was that about?" Autumn whispered to her mother. Renee shook her head, finger held to her lips. "Later," she replied quietly.

Harpers glass rose again. "Gentlemen! A toast to our home. Vale!"

Again the glasses rose in reply.

"VALE... AND NO RETREAT!"

The shouted response made her Faunas ears lay flat as Autumn looked up in awe at her father's face. He looked so fierce, as did the rest of the men around the table! The history books she'd read for class never mentioned anything like this. These men she'd grown up around, who'd been there for her whole life showing only kindness and support, suddenly took on a different aspect for her. Hunters and Huntresses weren't the only brave people around, she realized. From the smallest of them to the gentle giant Aldus, every one of them was ready to give his life to keep her and the rest of the city safe. As they all sat down again, she leaned over to hug him.

Harper turned towards the woman next to him. "Professor, the floor is yours," he said before sitting. Goodwitch rose gracefully, inclining her head towards him before turning to face the crowd.

"Gentleman, ladies, and students. Thank you for coming tonight," she began. "I won't bore you with a speech, but you have my gratitude and with it the grateful thanks of the entire city. In honor of your devotion, there comes a reward." She smiled at the assembly before lifting a paper from the table, silently thanking the man on her right for coaching in how this was done.

"Gentlemen! Attention to orders!" The troopers rose once more, standing stiffly as she continued. "By order of the Vale city council, Sergeants Tam, Falken, and Chance are herby promoted to the rank of Captain. Corporals Cooper, Aldus, and Rom are to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Corporals Semmel, Salk, and Hath, along with Specialists Bernard, Maxwell, Calvin, and McCoy are hereby promoted to Staff Sergeant. The remaining Privates of the Ninety-Fifth are promoted to Sergeant." She laid the paper back on the table and surveyed her command. "Gentlemen, you have my apologies. I have been remiss in my duty as your commander. These promotions, well deserved as they are, are long overdue. I beg your forgiveness."

Standing next to her, Harper looked at the men he'd taken for his own. "Gentlemen. Each of you is a 'Chosen Man', I should know since I was the one doing the choosing!" Laughter coursed the length of the table. When it died down, he continued. "You've proven your courage under the most difficult circumstances and it has been my honor to serve with you." He turned to face the woman beside him. "Professor Goodwitch. I have served under many commanders in my career, but none that have proven themselves as worthy. Speaking for all, you are forgiven." His right hand rose and touched his forehead in salute, the others following suit. "Ma'am, it's been an honor!"

For a moment Glynda stood speechless for a moment, unprepared for the what he'd said. Rallying her wits, she brought her own hand up in return. "Colonel, gentlemen, it's been more than an honor to lead..." Her words were interrupted by the sound of her scroll ringing in the small purse she carried. She grimaced, reaching towards the offending object. "Excuse me please." Turning away, she held it to her ear. "Diamonda, this had better be...!" The sharp words trailed off, her face betraying her shock at whatever her personal secretary was saying in reply. "You did the right thing. Thank you." she said after a few seconds. "Send me the location."

Scroll in hand, she turned back to the table. "Colonel, we have an emergency. A squad of the Self Defense Force has been ambushed while on patrol outside the city. They need assistance immediately."

Harper didn't pause to ask questions. He looked down the length of the table. "Captain Chance, Third squad has the duty. Gear up and report to the aircraft. I'll have details for you by then."

Men stepped away from the table and quickly headed out the door. Gundar paused to kiss his wife before turning to follow. "Be careful, Dad!" his daughter called to his retreating back.

Renee moved quickly towards the group still standing at the head of the table, her daughter in tow. "Glynda? Would you like me to take Morgana for the night?"

The Professor nodded. "Yes, please. It's going to get busy around here very shortly. Thank you." Calvin looked up from his scroll, "Could you let Tuppence spend the night too. I need to get with the command group."

"Sure." Renee turned to Autumn. "Honey, would you go collect them? And tell Persimmon to come along too, since Hath has to go with your dad."

"On it!" Autumn dashed around the table to where the Faunus boy sat looking bewildered as people streamed past him. "Hey Pers'! C'mon, you're spending the night with us!" Pulling him off the chair by his arm, she waved to the two girls. "Morgana! Tuppence! Let's go. We're all going to my house."

* * *

Renee stood in the kitchen door, looking at the four clustered at one end of the small dining table. Autumn's chin rested on her arms as she stared at the front door. Oakley sat with his hands in his lap, a picture of dejection. Morgana stretched a hand across the wooden top to touch Autumn's arm, a look of sympathy on her face. Only Tuppence appeared calm, hands clasped in her lap watching the other three.

The scent of hot spiced cider wafted across the foursome as the pot was set down in front of them. "They'll be alright." Renee promised, distributing cups as she poured.

"Yeah, but..."

The Huntress stroked her daughter's hair. "No buts!" She admonished, nodding to the boy holding a cup but not drinking. "Hath and your father have done this before, and they always come back. You know that." The head under her hand turned to glance at the door.

"I know. But it doesn't help while they're gone. I worry about them."

Tuppence sipped delicately, a frown on her face. "The rise in number of bandits worries everyone. The reports on the news increase every day."

Renee pulled out a chair and sat. "That's true. And someday you'll have to face them, when you've graduated. Promise me you'll all work hard at school so you're prepared?" She looked around the table, waiting.

Persimmon scowled at the tabletop. "Ah'll do whut needs doing if'n it means Mistuh Hath stays safe!"

Autumn nodded her agreement. "Yeah!" She held out a hand, palm down. "We're gonna show 'em they can't hurt people just cause they want to!"

Oakley stretched out an arm, hand covering hers. "Yup! Ah'm in!" He looked up as a third hand was placed over his.

"Well, I'm bored being left out, so I want to go along too!" Morgana told him sternly. "I'm far enough along in my training with Miss Goodwitch to be sure now." The girl looked to Renee, hoping for support. "I want to become a Huntress." The surprised woman gave her an approving nod.

A fourth hand joined theirs. "Well I'm certainly not being left out of this!" Tuppence declared. "Someone has to keep an eye on you lot." She cocked an eyebrow at the youngest girl. "But if you say 'all for one and one for all' I'm going to smack you!"

A large hand slipped under theirs, cupping them all with gentle strength. "I swear to do everything in my power to help you all succeed."

Autumn rested her head against the muscular shoulder. "Thanks Mom."

"Morgana, we'll talk to your mother and Glynda tomorrow about your decision," Renee added as their hands separated. "I know the Professor will be happy, but your mom is gonna need a little explanation about your career path."

The girl blushed slightly. "Thank you. I could use the help," she admitted.

Tuppence cast an eye over the group as she sipped. I really wish I understood these 'emotions', she thought.

Renee rubbed her hands together. "Okay, now for the sleeping arrangements. Tuppence, you can share my bed. Autumn can share with Morgana." She gave the boy a lopsided grin. "Oakley, you get the couch."

Persimmon grinned back at her. "Leastways ah ain't gotta share!" His grin widened as Autumn stuck out her tongue in his direction.

Stacking the cups on the counter to be washed in the morning, the Huntress smiled to herself. The children had managed to throw off the gloom of the evening, the thing she'd hoped to accomplish. Standing with one hand on the light switch, she cast a glance at the front door, a look of longing on her face.

"Come home to us," she whispered. It wasn't the first time she said it, and it probably wasn't going to be the last either.

* * *

"Autumn? Morgana?"

The Faunas girl rolled over, muttering irritably as the bedroom light came on. One eye cracked open, focusing on the bedside clock. "C'mon Mom! It's two in the morning!" she muttered sleepily.

"They're coming back now. Get dressed and we'll go meet them." Renee ordered from the door. The bedding flew across the room as the two girls erupted from the bed.

The Huntress was pelted with questions as she shooed them all into the car. "No, Isaac didn't say anything other than they were due at the airfield shortly. Just hang on a bit and we'll all find out, okay?" The tension during the drive was thick enough to cut with a knife, despite Renee's assurances.

Autumn was out the door before the engine had been shut off, the girl's eyes sweeping the brightly lit landing area. "Where are they?" she demanded. Car doors slammed behind her as the other rushed to see. A large hand gently pushed her towards a group of people standing at the edge of the pad, heads tilted skyward.

"Let's go ask them." Renee led the children onwards at a rapid pace, her own worries magnified by the lack of aircraft. Spotting Goodwitch, she changed course towards the Professor. "Glynda! What's the news?"

The blonde woman glanced at the five people heading towards her. "They should be landing any moment." She nodded in satisfaction at the sound of approaching turbines. "Ah! There they are now." She turned on the students clustered around Renee. "I want you all to stay here until I say it's safe to go closer!" she told them sternly. She turned back to watch as the Bullhead swooped in from over the water. Her lips thinned as it sped across the camp at low altitude, Rickenbacker obviously ignoring her previous warnings in his haste to arrive. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her bones.

The craft came to an abrupt halt, hovering just high enough for the landing gear to extend to the ground. It settled heavily as the engines were cut off without the usual time to spent slowing them. Two figures crouching at the edge of the pad darted forward as the door nearest them slid aside, crunching into the stops. Captain Chance leaned out of the opening, waving a hand towards them. "Medic! Semmel! Salk! Get over here!" he shouted.

Armored figures jumping down from the cargo area parted to let the pair through. Chance watched them for a moment before limping across the concrete towards Goodwitch, Harper running from the waiting command group to join him. The weary soldier doffed his helmet and saluted. "Ma'am! Beg to report... the bandits were defeated. It took us a while to hunt down some of them, though. We brought back the SDF wounded with us." He winced as his leg nearly buckled. Harper lent a shoulder to keep him upright.

"Casualties? Other than yourself, obviously." the older man asked gently.

Chance shook his head, trying to clear the fatigue away. "Yes sir. Three SDF personnel are in a bad way, they were hit first when the ambush was sprung. The rest have minor wounds, but they're coming back on foot. Two of my men have light wounds, they got hit in the second ambush when we arrived."

Glynda stepped forward. "Second ambush?"

The soldier nodded, wincing again. "Yes Ma'am. They were waiting for us! I think the first one was just a ploy to draw us in. They weren't even shooting at the SDF anymore when we got there!" He turned his head towards the man next to him. "Pat, something's going on. This was way too organized and too well planned for any of the usual gangs. It wasn't just random shooting, they were set up for us!" he said urgently.

Harper nodded agreement. "Okay son. We'll get your full report after you visit the infirmary." He looked at the Professor's angry face. "I'll let you know when to meet us, Glynda."

She nodded stiffly, then laid a hand on the wounded man's arm. "Thank you for bringing them all back, Chance."

He smiled weakly at her, trying hard not to collapse from exhaustion. "All in a day's work, Ma'am." he replied hoarsely before being led away. Glynda flinched as Autumn rushed past her, headed towards the two men exiting the craft.

"DAD!" Triangular ears perked up on one of the men at the sound of her voice. He braced himself as Hath's extended hand caught her before she could throw herself onto him.

"Easy kiddo! Your dad's got a busted wing and you don't want to go making it worse now, eh?" The girl reached out and gently touched the arm strapped to the armored chest, a red bandage wound tightly around the wound.

Tears started down her cheeks as she looked into her father's face. "Dad?"

Ulfur's smile was strained as he winked at her. "S'alright, honey. Don't you worry, Hath got me patched up. I'm just a little tired."

Another figure exited the craft, giving quiet orders to other men who lifted stretchers gently as they bore the SDF wounded away. Staff Sergeant Salk squatted down next to her, taking hold of the girl's chin to make her look at him. "He's gonna be alright, Autumn. It'll heal up in no time, so don't worry." He took a moment to wipe her tears away. "Trust me, I'm almost a doctor." Looking up at the other two, he thrust a thumb over his shoulder. "Get him to the infirmary. Semmel should already be there. I'll be along shortly." Standing up as the two moved off, he took hold of Autumn's hand. "Let's go talk to your Mom so she doesn't worry, okay?"

"Okay," she mumbled, eyes never leaving the two men limping away as he led her back to the others. She finally looked up at Salk as they disappeared into the darkness. "Mom's gonna kill him for getting hurt," she informed him.

"Probably. But not until I get him fixed up first!" he confided as he let go of her hand to salute Goodwitch. "They'll all be fine, Ma'am!" he reported. The looks of relief at the news lifted his heart. He turned to the group around Renee. "Ulfur's got a broken arm, but it will heal cleanly," he told her. He looked down into Persimmon's anxious face. "Relax kid, nary a scratch on him!" The boy's face lit up in a huge smile at the news.

"Thankee Sah!" He looked over at the mother and daughter conversing quietly. Sidling closer to the medic, he looked up at the man. "Her Pa's really gonna be awright ain't he?" His eyes closed as a hand descended on his head between the Faunas ears, ruffling the hair.

"Don't you worry, Persimmon. He'll be up and around in no time," Salk reassured him.

* * *

A/N:

Morgana has finally made her choice. She's been doing her own training with Glynda separate from the rest of the kids, learning to control her accidental magic abilities. But watching them from a distance has made her self-conscious about not joining the others in their quest to become Huntresses and Hunter. Autumn's vow just pushed her over the edge, I guess. We'll just have to see how she does with her abilities.

And now the bandits are organizing? Hmm! Something is going on here.

This should be interesting!

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	12. Chapter 12

HART-TNG

Chapter 12

New Blood

The men of the Ninety-Fifth Rifles of Vale have been a closed group since they were formed in the ashes of The Fall. Under the command of then- Sergeant Major Patrick Harper, they became the elite defenders of the city and surrounding countryside. The only problem is, their numbers are finite. If any of them are lost, their chances of a successful defense against Grim and bandits goes down. But who in their right mind would join those who have sworn to defend Vale with their lives?

Unbeknownst to the troopers, this small 'band of brothers' is about to acquire a sister.

* * *

Passersby glanced idly at the figure standing by a tree near the dockside market, never guessing at the lurker's inner turmoil.

( This be madness! Tis a plan tha' canna work! T'will be t' end of yeh.)

A deep breath was held to the count of three in an effort to control the shaking.

(They'll no' agree t' even open yon gate, lass!)

She peeked around the tree towards the two armored soldier guarding the gate.

(But then, if no' now, whenever will I see t' courage to do such again? Faith girl! Get hold of your ain self! Tis now or never! Ye've gone through worse in past times. What would yer ancestors think of ye quailin' like a babe afore such people!)

Another deep breath and a hard shake stilled the nerves.

(Now then, how's yer uniform?)

Her eyes quickly searched for stray bits of lint, creases that didn't belong, or other detriments to appearance. Finally she checked the shine of the boots, eyes squinting against the reflected sunlight.

( Check! An' t' paperwork?)

She leafed through the binder in her left hand, assuring herself one more time that everything needed was there and in proper order.

(All as it should be!)

One last pat on the flat topped cap to make sure it was seated squarely, safely containing the roan red hair beneath it properly.

(Off we go then! Best foot forward an' all! Best t' hope for is t' element o' surprise.)

From his post on one side of the gate, Sergeant Lee took note of the approaching figure. "Lieutenant, Suh? I do believe we ah about to have a visitah."

Rom turned from where he'd been keeping an eye on the kids playing near the wall of the compound, catching sight of the uniform. "Now what?" The annoyed tone amused the man beside him. The friction between the troopers and the Vale Self Defense Force was an ongoing problem. He was pleasantly surprised when the visitor stopped and saluted rather than walking right past as most tried to do.

"Sair! Private Boudicca, VSDF. Ah'd like a moment of Colonel Harper's time if tis possible, Sair." She held the salute until he returned it.

Again Rom was surprised, as much by the deference shown as by the odd request. "Do you have an appointment, Private?"

She held herself stiffly, earning an amused look from the other side of the gate. "Nay Sair. Tis a personal matter."

The statement intrigued Rom. What kind of 'personal matter' could a young woman from the SDF have with Harper, a man easily twice her age? "Let me see if he's available. Stand easy, Private." He stepped between the metal leaves of the gate, hand rising towards his helmet.

Feet set shoulder width apart, hands behind her back, Boudicca tried not to let her nerves get the better of her under the steady gaze of the remaining guard. She felt a surge of relief as Rom's hand appeared, waving her inside.

"The Colonel says he can spare a few minutes. You'll find him in his office, third building down on the right."

"Aye, Sair!" A last salute was given and returned. "Thank yeh, Lootenant!"

Rom smiled in return. "Anytime, Private. Now scoot along. He doesn't like to be kept waiting!"

Boudicca marched down the street, trying to keep up a brave front and desperately hoping that the stories she'd heard in the SDF barracks were wrong about the man she was going to see.

* * *

Patrick Harper set aside the reports that had just been delivered. He pointed towards a chair on one wall. "Take a seat, Captain. I've got an unexpected visitor from the SDF and I'd like a witness in case they make me lose my temper again."

Sergio Falken dropped into the indicated seat, grinning at the remark. His commanding officer had next to no tolerance for the kind of people that the Self Defense Force regularly sent to waste his time on problems that could have been settled with a simple call. "Who is it this time? If it's Snipe again then, begging the Colonel's pardon, I'll be on my way before my own temper rises."

Harper shook his head. "Some Private. Says it's a personal matter." He ran a hand through gray hairs. "Can't seem to recall dealing with any of their enlisted people before," he admitted wearily. "Probably on another errand for one of their office types that can't be bothered to get out of comfy chair." A knock on the door put a stop to his diatribe. "Well, that was quick!" he said quietly to Falken. He raised his voice. "Come!" He was surprised to see a petite uniformed woman enter the room at his command. She gently closed the door and approached the desk, stopping an arm's length away and saluting sharply.

"Sair! Private Gwinnith Boudicca, SDF. Thank yeh for seeing me."

Harper's hand rose in automatic response, returning the salute wearily. "At ease, Private." When she had relaxed, he leaned back in his chair. "What can we do for the SDF today?"

Her answer surprised both men. "Sair! I'd like t' join the Ninety-Fifth Rifles, Sair!"

From his place behind the woman, Falken raised his hands and shrugged in response to Harpers puzzled look.

Recovering his balance, Patrick cleared his throat. "You realize that we are not recruiting at this time, don't you?"

Gwinnith forced her voice to remain calm. Treat him like ye do Father, she told herself. Logic always confuses a man, Mum said. "Sair, wi' respect due ye', the Ninety-Fifth has never actively recruited sin' it was formed. Yer numbers have remained t' same for all that time." Her shoulders fell slightly. "All I'm askin' is a chance, Colonel. Only the chance t' prove that I can be as grand a soldier as any yeh command, Sair."

Harper's lips thinned. "What makes you think we would accept you, Private?" he challenged.

Gwinnith held out the binder that she'd carried across the city. "If ye would be kind enou' to read this, Sair. It's mah records from the SDF."

Harper glanced over her shoulder. "Give it to the captain, please." When she'd done so, he nodded towards the door. "Wait outside."

Falken began leafing through the pages as soon as the door closed, his eyebrows rising as he read. When he'd finished, he held the book out. "Sir if all this is true, and I don't see what she'd stand to gain making a forgery that she knew we'd check, then she is quite a find."

"How so?" Harper asked politely.

Falken flipped through pages until he found what he wanted. "Well, to begin with, she's on her second tour with the SDF. Almost all of them leave without looking back after one hitch. Even more surprising, her marksmanship is equal to any one of ours. All of her reviews are well above average, though I wonder about the reviewing officers over there! She's taken an Armorer's course, which is not part of her regular duties." He flipped a few more pages, finger resting on one item, "She even managed to get into Hath's Scout/Sniper class the one time we offered it to the SDF last year." His mouth quirked upwards. "And that would be something we could check in our own files. According to this, she scored highest in the class." The book snapped shut. "And to think Snipe had her posted as an orderly to one of his officer buddies!" This last had a distinctly venomous tone. "A glorified secretary!"

Harper studied the younger man's face for a moment. "Assuming it's all true, do we want her?"

Laying the binder on the desk, Falken looked down solemnly, putting his hands behind his back. "Not so much as 'want', sir. More like 'need'. If you allow this, I'm sure Captain Chance won't hesitate to accept her. His squad has been short one person since the battle for the tower."

The old soldier's eyes went to the small framed photo decorating a corner of his desk. A young, very serious, man in an Atlas military uniform had posed for his family after graduating. Private Chikara Oishi had made the ultimate sacrifice, one life freely given, to save Sergeant-Major Patrick Harper during the battle for the Vale communication tower.

"And, honestly Sir, we need more bodies." Falken continued. "Soldiering in the field is best done by young men...people," he amended hastily. "Besides, many of the men want to follow Ulfur's lead and start a family. And retirement isn't that far off for some," he added meaningfully.

"Looking forward to wearing a bigger hat are you?" the Colonel growled before grimacing distastefully. "I know all this, Falken. But will she fit in?" He sighed. "Can the boys handle it not being exclusively male anymore?"

Falken smiled. "Sir, they've been working with Huntresses for so long that I'm surprised they don't salute Delacourt when she walks into the room. Their attitudes are pretty flexible, I don't think there would be a problem."

Harper sat quietly for a moment, turning the idea over in his head. "Very well then, Captain Falken. The Ninety-Fifth will accept a new recruit, but..." he extended a finger, "you will first test her abilities before we do it. See how well she can actually do with a rifle and her hands against some of the men. If she can't hack it, then we lose nothing."

Falken leaned forward eagerly. "And if she passes...?"

"Then she becomes Captain Chance's problem!" Harper grumped.

* * *

Gwinnith paused at the edge of the mat, looking up... and up some more at the man waiting for them on the far side. She turned to the officer standing next to her, incredulous."Yeh canna' be serious, Sair!"

Falken inwardly struggled to keep the smirk off his face. "Very serious, Private. Lieutenant Aldus is one of our unarmed combat instructors. If you've suddenly decided you can't do this, then feel free to withdraw your request."

Her face hardened at the challenge. "Aye. It can be done, but I'll no' be responsible for damages to yon Lootenant!"

Several of the men working out in the gym stopped what they were doing to watch as she began unbuttoning her uniform shirt. Falken looked quizzically at her muscular forearms as the sleeves came off.

"Boudicca, what are those?" he asked.

"These? My clan's tats, Sair." The right arm lifted, displaying a stylized golden bolt inked into the skin of the forearm. "Me father's of clan Lightning, and.." the left arm rose, a dark cloud surrounded by crescents, "me mother's a Thunder. Bit of a odd match though." She smiled wistfully into the distance, "Both clans are grand fighters, and when they canna find anyone else they'll fight each other. Makes for an interestin' home life yeh might say."

"No doubt!" Falken waved a hand towards her opponent. "If you manage to last five minutes and stay on the mat, then you've passed this test." Handing her a pair of lightly padded gloves, he stepped back. "In your own time, Private."

Stepping boldly onto the padded surface, she crossed her arms and gave a short bow to her opponent. Aldus responded by slapping his hands on thick thighs and bowing in return. Right leg moving forward, he assumed a defensive stance.

Gwinnith knocked her fists together. "Ach! Mum said there'd be days like this!" Racing across the mat, she dropped beneath his punch, right leg sweeping towards the exposed ankle. The big man's foot didn't budge as her boot rebounded with a metallic clang. Dodging a kick from his other foot, she bounced back up. "What t'heel!" she muttered, flexing her own ankle to relieve the pain. "Stackin' t' deck are yeh?" she muttered before racing forward again.

Aldus' right arm shot out in a palm strike. Grabbing the wrist, Gwinnith used it to launch herself upwards. The toe of her right boot connected solidly with his head, snapping it to one side as she dropped back down again.

"Thunder!" The left fist drove into his stomach with a meaty 'thunk', bending him over as it expelled the air from his lungs. Her right elbow swung in a short powerful arc to connect with the descending temple, sending him to the floor.

Silence reigned in the gym as she stood over the fallen giant, panting hard from her exertions. When he didn't immediately get up again, she turned to the shocked officer. "Did yeh say t'was five whole minutes then, Captain?" she asked cheekily, unstrapping the gloves. "What shall I do for t'other four?"

Falken scratched his cheek, a wry grin on his face. "Well... I think it would be best spent seeing if Aldus is alright."

She glanced over her shoulder at the fallen man. "A bucket of water should do the trick!" She pressed the gloves into Falken's unresisting hand with a smile. "Booger's just having a bit of a nap."

Overcoming their shock, the men around them rushed to their unconscious comrade's side.

* * *

Staff Sergeant Hath threw a lazy salute towards the pair approaching the firing range. "Well now, Captain! What can I do for you this fine day?"

Falken's return salute was only marginally less lazy, unintentionally offending the woman next to him. "Afternoon, Staff. The Old Man assigned me to test Private Boudicca's skills. How about setting up the range for her?" A quick wink accompanied the request.

Oh ho! That kind of test! thought Hath as he smiled at the young woman. "Good to see you again, Boudicca. Keeping up on your training?"

"That I am, Staff Sergeant! Yeh wouldn't want me t' become rusty now?" she responded confidently.

"Nope! Hang on a minute, would you?" Stepping around the pair, he waved at the four young people walking down the path. "Grab a seat kids. We'll be done here shortly."

Gwinnith nodded to the youngsters as they passed. "An' who would these be?" she asked Falken quietly.

"Students from the fighting school," the Captain replied, nodding pleasantly as the youngest of the four waved at him. "Sorry about taking up your class time, Miss Delacourt. We'll try to be quick," he explained.

Gwinnith ignored the whispering from the bench, feeling the children's eyes following her as she accepted a rifle from Hath.

"Fifteen targets, thirty rounds in the magazine," he told her. "And just to make it interesting..." he tapped a button on the control box nearby. Rectangles rose from the field behind him and began moving erratically across it. "... moving targets!"

"O' course!" she retorted sarcastically, slapping a hand against the magazine to seat it securely. "We canna be havin' wi' boredom now, can we?" She nodded towards the shallow trench dug in front of the firing line. "Would yeh be allowing the use of the gun pit then?"

Hath looked to Falken who shrugged. "Whatever you want! Feel free to make use of the facilities provided, Private."

Twisting in their seats, the youngsters watched her jump into the trench. The woman took a moment, watching the targets intently before raising the weapon to her shoulder. Firing steadily she jogged along the length of the trench, returning along the same path when she'd reached the far end. The last round fired, she nodded in satisfaction before climbing back up again. Hath tapped the controls again, freezing the targets in place as she approached. He waved to the seated watchers. "Persimmon? Would you go collect targets for me?"

The lone Faunas boy in the group hopped to his feet. "Yassuh!" he hollered, dashing away. A minute later he deposited a pile of large papers in Hath's hands. "There ye' go, Suh!"

Hath smiled at the eager boy. "Thanks. Tell the rest they can set up their own targets now, would you?"

"Hokay!" Persimmon smiled broadly at the uniformed woman. "Thet be raht pretty shootin' there, Miss!" he told her before dashing off again.

Hath cupped a hand next to his mouth. "Delacourt! You're doing five hundred yards today! I better not see anything outside the nine ring!" he hollered towards the group. With a whoop of glee, the Faunas girl grabbed several targets and ran towards the cut in the earthen embankment.

"Can she do that? Five hundred, an' at her age?" Gwinnith asked, watching the retreating back.

"She better, or I've wasted the last six months!" Hath muttered, studying the targets in his hand as Falken watched over his shoulder. The captain lifted the last, a single hole in it whereas the others had been holed twice, all very close to the center.

"You appear to have missed, Private!" Falken informed her.

Gwinnith paused in her removal of the empty magazine. "Nay, Sair. If yeh look a bit closer, you'll see yon hole's a titch larger than t'others! Aim was a bit off on that one, was tryin' for the same hole."

Hath lifted the target out of Falken's hand and held it up to the sky. "She's right, sir." Lowering the paper, he beamed at his former student. "Good job!"

Her cheeks turned pink under the praise. "Thank ye', Staff."

* * *

Falken appeared distracted on the ride back to the office. His reverie was broken by her question. "Sorry Private, What was that?"

"I was wondering if everythin' was alright, Sair." she replied, a look of concern on her face.

His fingers tapped the wheel absently. "It is. I'm just thinking of where we could use you at the moment." Slowing the car to a stop at the next intersection, he looked her in the eye. "The Colonel needs an orderly."

Her shoulders slumped in dejection. "T'would be most unkind, Sair! Tis with the troops I'd rather be."

"Listen up, Private!" he scolded. "There are no easy jobs here. Everyone deploys, everyone fights! The Colonel goes out in the field just like I do, and even our Medics are shooters. We need someone like you to watch the Old Man's back while he's directing a battle more than we need a secretary, and you've just proven that you can do that! Do you want in, or would you rather stay with the SDF?"

She drew herself up, a smile creasing her face. "Well then, Sair. When tis put like that... it's a troopers life for me!"

He stepped on the accelerator, a smile on his own face. "Good! Now I can get out of that damned chair and back to work!"

* * *

Fastening the last silver button on the fitted waist length jacket, she tugged at the hem to settle it square on her shoulders. She nodded at her reflection in the mirror, satisfied that the dress uniform, specially made during the last week and delivered that very morning by Captain Falken, was in order. Pausing for a moment, she touched the finger width band of black material that encircled the upper arm of the right sleeve below the double hash marks of a newly minted Corporal. Her acceptance by Harper made her a 'Chosen Man', a member of an elite unit. She smiled at the thought, "Well, a Chosen Woman is what I am!" she mused.

McCoy stuck his head through the doorway. "C'mon Boudicca! Everyone's waiting on you! Get it in gear!" he growled as she snatched up her cap.

"Coming, Staff!"

* * *

Standing in front of the assembled troopers, Glynda held out a hand to the young woman facing her. "Congratulations, Corporal Boudicca. Welcome to the Ninety-Fifth."

Gwinnith beamed with pleasure as they shook hands. "Thank yeh, Professor. Tis truly honored I am to be here."

Glynda lowered her voice. "Captain Falken told me about their little 'test'. I may ask you to help train some students of mine in the future if you're interested."

"T'would be mah ain pleasure, Mu'um."

"Good," the older woman said, releasing her hand. "I expect great things from you, Corporal!"

Gwinnith's right hand came up in a sharp salute to the woman she'd secretly idolized for many years. "Aye then, Mu'um. I'll not disappoint ye!" Dropping the salute, she turned and marched to her place beside the Colonel. At Goodwitch's dismissal, she took one step backwards along with the rest of her new comrades before joining them in their battle cry for the first time.

"VALE... AND NO RETREAT!"

As the formation broke apart, several of the men came over to speak words of welcome. For the first time since coming to the city, she felt at peace.

Gwinnith Boudicca, daughter of clans Lightning and Thunder, had finally found a second home. One filled with men that any of her kin would have been proud to fight alongside, or with!

* * *

A/N:

I admit it, listening to music often starts a new story line in my head. The Ninety-Fifth came about because of an old British military tune used in the BBC series "Sharpe's Rifles". Gwinnith appeared after I heard the song "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons.

"Thunder... hear the thunder!

Lightning and the thunder!"

She's a bit of a mix of the Scottish/Irish in my own ancestry and Terry Pratchett's 'Wee Free Men'. The original Boudicca was a legendary heroine in English history that gave the Romans a hard lesson in international relations. We'll see what she can do in other stories to come.

As always,

Keep Writing!

Vindictious


	13. Chapter 13

HART-TNG

Chapter 13

Lessons Learned

As Akiko said: "There is more to what we do than just bashing things. You will also be studying to improve your mind"

There's a lot to learn as an aspiring Huntress or Hunter. Not all of the lessons are good, some are downright painful and frightening.

* * *

Gwinnith Boudicca paused for a moment, rifle at the ready as her eyes scanned the woodland track for enemies. There was something niggling at her senses, little mental alarms telling her that she was being watched. Under the present circumstances it was not a comfortable feeling.

This day's training exercise with First Squad's soldiers had put her on the left flank of the group spread out in a line, meaning she was in the most exposed position as they swept in a clockwise circle around the walls of the city. While the original plan was to hone their skills in group coordination, there was always the possibility of bandits lurking nearby in the woodlands. She glanced to her right, but couldn't spot the Colonel. Harper was supposed to stay within five meters of his aide de camp so that she could protect him, but the underbrush was too thick to maintain line of sight with the man.

She froze in place as wind in the upper branches made eerie echoes between the trees.

Well then, this is a fine pickle to be in! Her mouth made a little moue of disgust at the thought. I'll not be so foolish as to go wailin' for help now, as the boys will be thinkin' I took fright at bein' alone! I'd not hear the end of it!

A dry twig snapped close behind her.

Spinning about, her unthinking response was to lash out in a powerful kick before leveling the rifle at her attacker. Her eyes narrowed as the sights settled on a terrified face a dozen feet away.

"Persimmon Oakley! Yeh'd best have a goodly explanation for this day's work!" she snarled at the petrified boy.

Persimmon's hands shot skyward in response along with his Faunas ears, the girl he'd managed to catch midflight crashing onto the hard packed dirt of the path. "Don' shoot, Miz Boo! It ain't mah fault! Mistuh Hath done made us do it!" he whimpered.

Gwinnith lowered the rifle, glaring down at the girl rubbing her stomach where the boot had connected. "And that would be yer excuse also then, would it not, Autumn Delacourt?"

"Yes'M!" Autumn gasped as she struggled to rise.

"Ach! Put yer hands down, boy!" Gwinnith said in disgust as she flipped the rifle to her shoulder. Oakley let his arms fall and offered a hand up to his classmate. "Now explain yerselves! And pray I'll be believin' the pair of yeh, as yer not so big as t'not be spanked!"

Oakley shrank back a little under the threat. "Yes'M! Mistuh Hath said we's both gettin' a little too big fer our britches an' so he done made us..." his face screwed up in concentration, "...'test our cape..ah.. bilties'...out heah with y'all. We wuz ta trah sneekin' up on all you sojers!" His left hand rose as the right hand covered his heart. "Honest, Miz Boo! That be why we done it!"

Autumn's nod confirmed his story. "We almost did it, too!" she said defensively.

"Yeh almost were shot is what yeh did!" Boudicca growled. "Staff Sergeant Hath has his own explanation t'make, sendin' the pair of yeh out amidst a live fire exercise!"

The bush next to her rustled as the target of her wrath stepped onto the path from his hiding place, catching the barrel of the rifle as it swung towards him. "Easy now, Corporal!" Hath said softly, grinning through the camouflage paint on his face. "Think of this as a learning experience for you and them both."

She yanked the barrel from his grip, uncomfortable with the idea that she'd not considered that he might be nearby. "A learning experience is what ye'll be getting, Staff, when we next meet in the gym!" she promised dourly.

"Then I guess I'll have to deal with that later," he sighed, totally unrepentant, "but the line has moved on and you need to be another dozen meters down the road right now."

With a last look of disgust at the threesome, she jogged off down the path, muttering under her breath.

Hands on hips, their instructor regarded his charges critically. "So, did you two learn anything from all this?"

Persimmon stood at attention. "Yassuh! I learn't thet sneekin' up on Miz Boo be a really bad idea!" he paused to glare at his classmate, "An' it weren't mine neither!"

Hath fought hard to maintain his stern look as he turned to the unhappy girl. "And you, Miss Delacourt?"

"I should have looked closer at where I was putting my feet, Sir! I guess I got overconfident," Autumn admitted, hand still rubbing her stomach, "And I found out she kicks as hard as Yang does!"

Hath nodded, accepting the explanation. "Overconfidence is why I sent you two out here in the first place. Someday you might be as good as you think you are now, when you've learned everything we're trying to teach you. Until then, remember what happened here!" He pointed to the path behind them, "Now let's head back... and try not to sound like a herd of Goliaths this time!"

* * *

Approaching the Bullhead, Autumn shifted her schoolbag to the other hand and gave a friendly wave to the man standing next to it. "Good morning Mister Rickenbacker!"

Willy paused his conversation with the giant soldier Aldus and gave her a informal salute in return. From the cargo area Gwinnith raised hand in greeting.

"Good morning to you all!" The pilot clapped his hands, rubbing them together briskly as he smiled broadly the group. "So! Who's ready to go flying?"

Persimmon looked past the man at the Bullhead, a sense of dread filling his young mind. A trembling hand rose, "Suh? Ah ain't nevuh gone flah'n afore."

The pilot's smile widened. "Then you are in for a thrilling experience my young friend!" His right hand swooped upwards. "Think of yourself as a majestic bird, soaring among the clouds and looking down upon the land." His smile dimmed at the boy's doubtful look.

Indigo's head popped out of the open copilot's window, glaring down at them. "Just don't puke all over the cargo bay!" she growled before disappearing again.

Willy waved a hand in dismissal. "My mechanic shows undue pessimism! You will be fine, I promise!" He gestured to the open hatch. "If you will all please board, we will be on our way shortly."

In an unexpected show of support Tuppence slipped her arm through Persimmon's as they approached the opening, "Quit worrying. My uncle Isaac swears that Willy is the finest pilot he's ever known, and besides that we'll all be there with you." A twist of her hip pushed him toward the waiting craft as she released him, "In you go!"

Persimmon glanced over his shoulder as he hopped in. "Miz Dore? Y'all said this here field trip was sumpin' special. Where we goin' today?"

Hart smiled up at him, one hand on the door as the other children entered. "You four are going to be the first students in the first class held at the Academy since it was rebuilt."

Autumn dropped to her hands and knees, nose to nose with the woman. "You mean it, Aunt Hart?!" She jumped up, grabbing Tuppence and Morgana by their arms. "Beacon!" she squealed. "We're going to Beacon Academy!"

Tuppence put her free hand on top of the excited girl's head, shoving down hard to stop the bouncing. "Yeesh! It's just for today! It's not like we're full time students there." Persimmon craned his neck as far back as it would go, gulping as he took in the towering cliffs that supported the school. He blinked in surprise as Morgana pulled him back into a seat.

"Don't tell me you're scared of heights! I've seen you climbing trees," she grumbled as their teacher moved to the front cabin.

"Fallin' ain't the problem," the boy shot back as he glanced out the door again towards the cliffs. "It's thet there sudden stop at the bottom!"

"Put these in your ears." Renee held out a handful of earplugs. "All of them," she reminded the two Faunas children. As soon as they'd complied she offered more to the two soldiers standing next to her before taking four for herself.

Gwinnith studied the rubber cones for a moment. "Ah've never worn bungs in me ears for a simple flight before!" she told the man crouching next to her.

"And you have never ridden in 'Dragonslayer' before! Put them in, Corporal, if you want to keep your hearing. Trust me in this!" Aldus told her sternly, pointedly stuffing a cone in his own ear.

She hurriedly copied him as the engines started whining, rising in pitch until the screaming turbines made even shouting useless. She grabbed for a handhold as the craft leapt upwards, reaching out to steady the Faunas boy as he rocked backwards. She spied two of the girls, red and black hair whipping in the downdraft as they lay on the floor, heads out the door looking down at the ground dropping beneath them. Smiling at the nervous youngster under her hand, she nodded towards the open doorway and made a shooing motion for him to join his classmates. Squaring his shoulders, he dropped to his knees and crawled on all fours toward the pair. She smiled in satisfaction as the girls made room for him, Autumn's hand settling on his shoulder as she pointed towards something on the ground.

They have courage enough between them, she thought to herself. So long as they stand together, nothing will best them!

* * *

"Hart?"

The Faunas woman turned at the sound of Renee's voice. "Yes?"

Renee laid a hand on her friend's shoulder, looking into her eyes. "Do you want a minute?" she asked softly, nodding towards the monument near the wall. "I can take the kids to the classroom if you like."

Hart nodded gratefully. "Thanks Renee. I appreciate it."

As she led her charges off, Autumn looked back over to where her godmother stood, head bowed. "Mom? Isn't Hart coming with us?"

"She'll be along shortly," her mother promised. "She's talking with an old friend."

The other three craned their necks to see what was going on. "Cain't see no fren'." said Persimmon. His eyebrows rose as Hart knelt and touched the top of the carved stone at her feet. "Oh! Thet kinda fren!"

"That's the memorial to her mentor, Edda Odson. She hasn't been here for a while," Renee explained as they passed through another gate. She paused to get her bearings. "Let's see... that's the one!" A thick finger pointed towards a nearby building.

"Ma'am? Can you tell us about him?" Tuppence asked, following in her wake.

"Nope. I never met the man. But I'm sure Hart will tell you all about him if you ask politely." Hand on the door, she looked at the foursome. "Now, I want you all to be on your best behavior! The man giving today's lecture is one of my old instructors. His name is Doctor Oobleck. He's been teaching Hunters and Huntresses for a very long time here and deserves your respect." She glanced meaningfully at her daughter. "Be warned, I'll be watching you all!"

"Yes, Ma'am." Autumn dutifully replied, promising herself to pay back Morgana's smirk. Geez Mom! Why'd ya hafta do that to me? she didn't say.

* * *

Three pencils moved at a furious pace over the pages, striving in vain to keep up with Doctor Oobleck's stream of information. Autumn shot a quick glance to where Tuppence was sitting, hands clasped on the empty desk in front of her, listening intently. "How does she do that?" the young girl muttered to herself before returning to her own frantic attempt to keep track of his high speed lecture. Her classmate never seemed to take notes, but never failed to score highest on tests!

The pencils slowed to a stop as the Doctor paused in his discourse, Persimmon's continuing for a few seconds longer. "Are there any questions?"

Gwinnith, sitting a few rows back next to Aldus, set her own pen down and leaned over. "A fiver on Miss Calvin!" she whispered. The Lieutenant shook his head. "Oakley!" he answered in a low voice.

The Corporal grinned at him at Tuppence's hand rose. "Pay up, big man!" Aldus sighed as he reached for his pouch.

"Sir, you've been very informative on ethics and morals for Huntresses and Hunters, but I would like to know about the concepts of honor and integrity," the girl asked politely.

Oobleck adjusted his glasses, smiling at the earnest question. "Thank you, Miss Calvin. As to your question, we happen to have someone with us today that can answer that I think." He looked over to where the other adults were sitting. "Miss D'Ore? Would you be so kind as to expound on the subject?"

Autumn held her breath as her mentor stepped across the classroom floor. Stopping next to the older man, she rested her left hand on her sword. Feet apart and head high as she looked up at the people in the seats.

"I can't tell you what others think," she began, leveling her gaze at her god-daughter, "but I can tell you what I was taught and what I have learned." The green eyes moved along the line of students, pausing on each. "Integrity is what others see in you, it is the cornerstone of trust between people. Honor is what you see in yourself. What is honor? It is the absolute and unselfish adherence to all virtues! Truth, Courage, and Forthrightness being foremost among these!" Her hands rose, cupping together to form a hollow ball in front of her chest. "It encompasses all these things, yet is greater. As my mentor explained to me, and I have believe this to be true, it is the fire that illuminates the difference between an armed savage and a true warrior! It is the light that will guide you along the path you have chosen." Her hands opened, cupping the air. "Duty can be heavy. The loss of your Honor is a heavier burden yet." She leveled a finger at the four in the front row. "Sometime during your lives, you may find that a choice must be made between the two. Others have faced this choice in the past, many of them losing their honor in the process because duty was the easier path." Her eyes closed for a moment as she drew a deep breath, thinking of the look on Weiss Schnee's face the last time she'd seen her. "And then there are those who give up their integrity and honor for gold, the easiest path of all. My friend's father did so, and when he died no one wept for him!" Her stern gaze swept the hall again, stopping when she saw Gwinnith's intense stare. "Duty to your kingdom, your clan, or your family and friends is important. But should these take precedence over your honor? Only you can make that choice." She focused on her students again. "I hope you have the strength to choose wisely. I can tell you that, personally, a life without honor is not worth living."

The hall was silent as she made her way back to her seat, the student's heads swiveling to follow her. Renee rolled her eyes towards the ceiling as her friend dropped carefully into the seat next to her. "Couldn't tell you were nervous at all from here!" she whispered as Oobleck took the floor again. She grunted quietly as an elbow connected with her ribs.

"I hate public speaking!" Hart muttered.

The big woman smiled at her old friend. "Well, maybe you could try being a little less good at it then!" She handed over her scroll, "And you might find this interesting. There's a half dozen new contracts posted by outlying villages. Looks like both bandits and Grim are causing some trouble." Her face grew worried, "Things are picking up in a bad way."

Hart quickly scanned the messages, frowning deeper as she read. "When was the last time I could go out on a contract? A year?" she muttered.

On the floor of the class, Oobleck turned towards the four in the front. "Did Miss D'Ore's explanation answer your question, Miss Calvin?" he asked the wide eyed girl.

Tuppence nodded. "Yes sir. I believe it did." she answered quietly, still processing all that Hart had said. Concepts that her predecessor had never been exposed to spun new ideas in her mind.

"Good!" Hands rubbing together, he looked around the room hopefully. "Are there any other questions?" He waited in vain for another raised hand. Seeing none, he gently removed his glasses and looked down at them. "Ladies and gentlemen, it has been far too long since I stood in this room teaching young minds. I am grateful for the chance to do it again. Thank you for coming." Glasses perched on his nose once more, he looked around the room. "Class is dismissed."

The children paused, notepads halfway into their bags as the adults rose and began to clap. They rose hastily, adding their applause to the others.

Autumn was a bit mystified by the single tear running down below the old man's glasses as he nodded thanks to the class. Maybe Mom can explain it, she thought as the clapping petered out.

* * *

"G'wan! Ask her!"

"No! You ask her!"

The sound of bodies being shoved behind her made Hart roll her eyes in exasperation. She turned suddenly, seeing Autumn freeze with Persimmon's head trapped beneath her arm. Behind them, Morgana and Tuppence were backing away slowly.

"Ask me what?" the Hart demanded while Renee glared at her daughter.

Releasing her classmate, Autumn looked down, one toe scraping the concrete. "Would you tell us about Mister Odson, Aunt Hart?" she asked contritely.

Hart smiled at the pair, relieved that it was nothing more than simple curiosity. "Sure." Turning to Renee, she asked her to tell the others that they'd be a few minutes late. Renee assured her that she would, then almost bumped into the soldier standing next to her as she turned.

"Faith, Mu'um. I'm thinkin' that this is a tale I'd like to hear, if it's all the same to yeh." Gwinnith offered politely.

Hart smiled at the soldier as she took Autumn's hand. "Of course." Leading them along the wall, she stopped at the flat topped stone. Seating herself, she patted the ground next to her. "Pull up a piece of dirt and I'll tell you his story." When they'd arranged themselves around the monument, she reached over and traced the name engraved there. "Edda Odson was my savior, my friend, and my Shield. He was a good and honorable man, and one of the greatest Hunters of his generation." A finger traced the sigil in the center, three arms gripping elbows to form a triangle. "He was also the sworn brother of Yang's father and uncle."

Persimmon reached out and gently touched the stone. "So Miz Yang knew'm too?"

Hart smiled wistfully. "Yes. She considered him an adopted 'uncle'. She and her sister, Ruby, both loved him as much as I did." Drawing the long-bladed Dust dagger from her belt, she held it out for the others to see. "He gave me this when I was younger than any of you. I was so proud that I even slept with it!"

Gwinnith sat behind the girls, listening carefully as the story of Hart's rescue unfolded. The children were silent as she told of how a small Faunus girl, who would eventually choose to follow in his footsteps, looked up to a man who could perform great deeds of daring. She watched Autumn lay her hand on her tutor's knee as Hart described his last selfless act, how he gave his life to save the city below them.

Autumn's eyes filled with tears as the story ended, thinking about the Hunters and Huntresses that she knew whose lives had been saved by this man. Next to her, Morgana sat with her chin on her knees. "I never heard about that before. Why don't they teach it in the schools?"

Hart shrugged. "Maybe because the Fall came soon afterwards. There was so many bad things happening that some of the good was forgotten." Rising gracefully, she offered a hand to her god-daughter. "Come along now. It's time to get back to Vale."

As the girl rose, she looked down at the small stone. The stone seemed tiny compared to what it represented. "I won't forget," she whispered.

Walking back to the landing platform, Gwinnith smiled fondly as the youngsters ran ahead. She cast a last glance backwards before turning to the woman walking beside her. "He must have been a grand man, Mu'um. I wish I'd've had the knowin' of such. Tales I've heard of my clan's own heroes, but none such as he!"

Hart laid a hand on the soldier's shoulder. "I wish you could've met him too. I think he would have liked you. I'm reminded of an old saying. 'A person never truly dies so long as their name is still spoken'!"

* * *

"Up you come!" Yang easily lifted the Faunus boy from the crater his body had made in the sand.

Oakley stood for a moment with his eyes shut, waiting for the dizziness to pass. "Ah think ah done zigged when I should 'a zagged!" He shook his head to clear it, then glared at the dark haired girl on the sideline.

Yang followed the movement to where Morgana was clutching her chest, one hand slapped over her face to stifle the laughter that bubbled out of her mouth. "Don't let yourself get distracted," she told him as he staggered to where the other students sat. "Remember to watch how your opponent is standing. Look for the shift in their balance so you can avoid the attack." A grin showed as an idea hit her. "Morgana!"

Morgana paled, knowing the lilting tone concealed a promise for her laughing at Oakley's misfortune. She scrambled to her feet as the others did their best to appear attentive.

"Bravely did the young Huntress enter the fray, heedless of what Fate had in store for… Ow!" Autumn rubbed the back of her head where her friend's hand had connected.

"Quiet you! Oratory's not going to help!" Morgana hissed. Summoning her Aura, she stepped forward towards the grinning blonde.

Autumn turned her back on the pair. "Just let me know when it's over," she told Tuppence as she closed her eyes. The android nodded and began a quiet countdown.

"Five… four… three… two… one. And done!" She gently rapped the younger girl on the shoulder. "I think she'd do better to practice running away."

Autumn winced slightly at the scornful tone. "Yeah, I know. She does fine in everything else, just not here."

"Well, she shore ain't laffin' now." Persimmon said solemnly. "Ah kinda hoped she'd learnt t' duck faster."

"Delacourt!" Yang's finger beckoned the Faunas as her other hand gently pushed her last opponent towards the waiting group, "Your turn."

"Avenge me!" Morgana groaned as she passed her friend.

'Avenge?' Autumn thought as she rolled her shoulders to loosen them, 'I'll settle for fewer bruises!' Stopping a few feet in front of the blonde, she bowed slightly and assumed her normal fighting stance. Maybe it was time to see if those extra lessons from Corporal Boudicca were worth the effort.

Akiko's workouts had added muscle and increased her balance and agility, and Hart's tutoring had given her the eye-hand coordination a sword wielder needed. Throw in a couple of Gwyneth's tricks and she just might have a chance.

Yang staggered as her first punch was met with a countering punch to her chest. She growled at herself for letting herself forget that, shorter than the others, Autumn was the daughter of the one who'd managed to hold her own against the blonde. This girl had her mother's muscle and the punch had been perfectly timed. Fists raised, the brawler waded in again.

Autumn wove and ducked as a triple combo slashed past her head. It was working! Seeing her instructor's balance change, she spun on one foot to avoid a kick and delivered her own reverse roundhouse kick in reply. Planting her feet again, she paused in surprise as Yang glared up at her from the sand.

'Oh… Dust! I did it!' Fear and joy mingled in the thought.

She felt like cheering, but settled for a cocky grin as Yang surged up from the ground. The right fist lashed out, sun glinting off the metal as it curved toward her student's head. Autumn wove past it, intent on landing another punch, sure that she could repeat her earlier performance. The blow was knocked off target as Yang's prosthetic hand stopped in mid-flight and made a grab for the suddenly unlucky girl's attack. As her feet left the ground, Autumn realized that the grin might have been a very bad idea.

From the sidelines, the watching trio winced as sand erupted from the impact. When the dust cleared Yang had Autumn pinned face down beneath her, the girl's arm twisted skyward. Oakley moved to stand next to Tuppence, the two of them gazing at the frozen scene. "Whut t' heck just happened? Thought fer sure it wuz gonna last a mite longer!"

Tuppence snorted in disgust as her classmate's hand slapped the earth in defeat. "She should never have let Yang get up! Giving your opponent a break is a quick way to lose." One side of her mouth quirked upwards. "Although the squirt did manage to knock her down first, and lasted nearly two minutes! I'd say she's improving."

Morgana's elbow jabbed the android in the ribs, "Not as good as you, though. You've still got the record of three minutes!" Bending at the waist, the dark hair fell over her shoulder as she retrieved two bottles of water from the cooler at her feet. Straightening, she tossed them towards the oncoming pair. "I'll get there… eventually! A wise man once said that we should know our limitations, and then strive to overcome them."

Yang saluted her with the bottle, "A wise-ass woman I know once said, and I quote, if a' else should fail then gi' em a kick in the bahooglies!" The children grinned at her attempt to mimic Boudicca's accent. She smiled at a sudden thought. "Y'know? Come to think of it, I once saw Coco do that to a Grim she was fighting!" Sobering, she laid a hand on Morgana's shoulder. "Seriously, though, you all are improving. It's hard to lose, but every time you do you need to think about what happened so the next time you can keep from repeating the mistake. It's okay to worry about how you're doing now, but don't let it stop you! There's years yet before we turn you loose on the world." She paused for a moment to drain the bottle. "And don't forget, your semester tests are next week!" As three of the four faces in front of her fell into a look of despair she reached for her belt and extracted four slips of paper. Holding them out, she winked at Tuppence, "But before that happens, there's a festival in the main plaza tomorrow night and I happen to have these coupons for free ice cream floats. I don't suppose anyone would be interested in redeeming them, eh?" Her hand emptied in a flash, leaving her to count her fingers in case someone was off target.

"Thankee, Miz Yang!" Persimmon gazed lovingly at the promise of cold sugar, "Ah knows one 'a the folks thet'll be makin' music there, so I'uz gonna be there anyways! This jus' makes it all the better."

Tuppence looked around the group, "I suggest we all meet in front of the stage before the music starts so we can get good seats."

Autumn's hand shot up, fingers clenched around her coupon. "Yeah! Then we're gonna PAARRTTEEE!"

Morgana's slip crumpled in her fist as her face dropped into the other palm. "Aagh! She's so childish some days!"

* * *

A/N: Mark Twain once said "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."

Forty years after graduating high school I find new things to learn all the time. :) I hope you do the same.

My apologies for the long stretch since posting the last chapter. The usual things in life (and trashing parts of this chapter for rewrites multiple times) are to blame.

As for you… keep writing because I love to read new works from younger minds!

Vindictious


	14. Chapter 14

HART-TNG

Chapter 14

Magic in the night

Morgana discovers that there is more to magic than the Professor has taught her.

* * *

On a darkened street in downtown Vale, a girl paused for a moment at an intersection. One finger traced the diagram on the paper she held, stopping three quarters of the way to the top. Grasping it in both hands she inverted it, then righted it again with a sound of disgust. A snap of her fingers produced a tiny ball of light in her right hand, the sphere barely illuminating the street signs as she held it up.

"It's official, I'm lost!" Morgana told the darkened stores around her. Lowering her hand again she glared at the paper. "Stupid map! I should just burn you and go home!" A look of unhappiness came over her face. "But then I'd miss the festival too!" Asserting her independence was turning out to be a pain. The Professor had offered to drive her, but the rebellious teen in her wanted to prove she could do it on her own.

A door banged open behind her, releasing a swarm of young children into the street. Morgana threw her hands in the air in an attempt to keep them from running into the magical fire or her useless map. The crowd flowed around her like salmon swimming upstream, heedless of any danger. Multiple collisions spun her about until one young Faunas sporting goat horns butted her in the small of the back. The flame disappeared along with the paper, leaving her sitting in the street facing the child.

The little girl rubbed the top of her head for a moment. "You hurted me!" she accused.

Morgana scrambled to her feet, offering a hand up to the little one. Her back twinged as she lifted the girl to her feet. "And you hurt me, so we're even." She turned, catching sight of the tail end of the screaming swarm as it turned left at the next intersection. "Where were you all going?"

Clutching the teen's hand tightly, the girl tugged her down the street in pursuit of the horde. "There's a big party! Miss Hollyhock said we could have candy after class too!" she cried over her shoulder as Morgana stumbled after her.

"Great! Just what I needed! A useless map and a sugar-crazed six year old kid to guide me! I'm never gonna make it!" Morgana muttered under her breath while trying to stay upright.

Rounding the corner, her pint-sized captor slowed as the street inclined upwards. The buildings at the end of the avenue supported strands of colored lights, lending a bizarre appearance to the walls.

"Yeah!" Releasing the older girl's hand, the child rocketed up the street, yelling what Morgana assumed were the names of her cohort at the top of her lungs.

"Now there goes an accident waiting to happen again." Massaging the spots where the horns had connected, the Huntress in training followed at a more sedate pace. The buzz of voices filled the air as she left the gloomy street and entered the square.

Spotting the small, curtained stage that had been set up on the far side, she wove her way between the tables littering the open area. Twisting aside to avoid the wildly waving arms of one large man, she spotted the mass of children huddled around the candy floss vendor. A small Faunas arrowed into the crowd, eliciting high pitched cries of dismay. Apparently the little girl hadn't learned her lesson yet.

"Morgana!" Light from the stage silhouetted a pair of tall thin ears and a waving hand. "C'mon! It be startin'!" Persimmon shouted to her.

Hurrying between the tables, she gave a sigh of relief. At least she hadn't missed anything. Pulling up to a halt, she looked down into the frowning face of her youngest friend. "What?"

"You're late!" Autumn growled. "We've been waiting since forever for you!" The girl winced as a finger tapped her forcefully between her triangular ears.

"It's only been a half hour!" Tuppence chastised the girl before turning to Morgana. "Isn't the Professor joining us?"

"No. The cat's sick, so she's keeping an eye on him tonight." A guilty look came over Morgana's face. "He kinda found the jumbo bag of spicy beef jerky I had hidden in my room and ate the whole thing." Her nose wrinkled in disgust, "Then he got sick on my bed so I had to change the linen before I could leave."

"Eeww! That's gross!" Autumn made gagging sounds until Tuppence made her stop.

Persimmon's eyes widened comically. "Seriously? Ah've seen them bags, they're lahk this big!" His arms stretched as far as they could. "Them's a month's supply! Nobody kin swaller that much in one go!"

"You haven't seen this cat either!" Autumn declared, "Ed's bigger than that. And the Professor said he's twice as dumb as he is big!"

Tuppence gave the two girls a bemused look. "Maybe you should get him one of those catnip toys."

"Dust, no!" Heads turned at Morgana's shout. "I'm begging you, please!" she shook her clasped hands in the taller girls face, "Never, ever, ever give that monster catnip!"

Autumn shook her head forcefully, ponytail flying through the air, "Nonononono! That cat… he's bad enough as it is without that stuff! Glynda would… I don't know if there's a word for what she'd do to us!"

A spattering of applause pulled them out of the discussion, drawing their attention to the stage where a strange figure was taking a bow. A dark gray cloak covered it from neck to toe, face hidden by a deep cowl. What gender or race it might be was anyone's guess as the features were concealed behind an oval mask, the right side black and the other white. Autumn felt a chill down her back as the creepy smile was turned in her direction. Grasping the cloth in one hand, it leapt off the left side of the stage, it pulling the curtain aside and leaving four musicians blinking in the sudden light. Two Faunas men stood slightly forward of the two seated women, one Faunas and the other Human. A third, petite Human woman stood slightly back next to the chairs. The last woman grinned at the crowd as the others straightened slightly as the onlookers quieted in anticipation.

Tuppence used the zoom function built into her eyes in an attempt to identify the instrument in one woman's lap. The creamy orange ears of the Fox Faunas bobbed in time with the rhythm of her right elbow as it moved in and out from her side, the movement compressing a bellows strapped to her arm Three pipes lay across the skirted lap, ending in a small round device with slots cut into it. A fourth pipe was held vertically, its lower end pressed against the right leg.

Leaving the mystery for a moment she panned her vision across the others. The guitar in the hands of the red haired Human woman was easily identified, as was the Bass held upright in the hands of a Faunas man whose multicolored crest of feathers was slowly settling back against his neck. The Human girl standing on the opposite end of the stage sported bright orange hair and held something behind her back, much to Tuppence's disapproval. It had to be something small, as the woman herself was barely taller than Autumn. Electronic memory provided several items that it could be, leaving Tuppence with a second mystery for the moment. It undoubtedly would be produced in time, so she stopped watching the petite musician to focus on the Faunas man who stood in the forefront. The ears atop his head weren't quite as long as either Miss Scarlatina's or her classmate, and they seemed a bit thicker. She finally settled on Hare Faunas, which puzzled her as that particular strain tended toward more combative behavior.

"Wooottt!"

The man's calm face turned toward Persimmon's enthusiastic greeting, the rosined bow in his right hand rising in reply to the madly waving hand. A small smile creased his face as Morgana swatted the boy. Tuppence found herself with another, smaller mystery as he raised the wooden instrument in his other hand. Violin or fiddle? She'd have to wait until she heard it to know for sure. She tuned out the argument beside her as he stepped forward to the edge of the platform.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. We are Tarrant Moss, and I hope you are pleased with our offering tonight." Announcement finished he turned and nodded at the two seated women.

The guitarist held out a hand to the Faunas, nodding her head repeatedly. The other woman began nodding in time, then depressed a silver key on her instrument on the down beat. Tuppence cocked her head as a low melodic hum wove its way through the crowd bringing silence in its wake. Two beats later the guitarist poised her hand over the strings and began strumming. The hum changed pitch as the Hare raised his own instrument and tucked it under his jaw. The Bass bow began slowly sliding over the strings producing a low note as the other Faunus stroked his own bow downwards, the reedy notes from the unknown instrument behind him following the tune.

Fiddle, definitely a fiddle she decided. Tuppence watched closely as the angle of the bow changed, making sharp yet strangely sweet notes that seemed to hang in the air. A shuffling noise nearby drew her attention away from the stage for a moment.

Unsure of what this display meant, she had to ask. "Persimmon? Are you…dancing?" The boy's feet continued moving as he glanced over at her stunned face, heel stamping the ground on the backswing. The toe of his boot tapped the surface before the foot swung forward again.

"Yup! Ole Willie there, he starts in on a Reel an' I jes gotta move m' feets! Cain't he'p m' self." Seeing Autumn trying to copy him, he slid over to her. Catching the younger girl up in his arm they spun into the space in front of the stage.

Tuppence watched for a moment, wondering what had come over her classmates. Neither had mentioned an interest in dance, and Autumn's musical tastes tended towards the same music everyone else her age listened to. Turning to ask Morgana her thoughts on the matter, she noticed the teen staring eagerly at the stage. Judging by the direction of her head, she was staring at the fiddler. "Don't you think you should graduate school first, before you ask him to marry you?"

Morgana turned quickly, cheeks flaming. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Tuppence was about to reply when the last instrument was produced with a muted whistle. The petite woman held a tube of purple wood to her mouth, eyes locked on the android's. Her lips curled up in a grin around the mouthpiece of the recorder as she began to play.

Tuppence quickly identified it, although she wondered if the color was natural. As the first notes reached her ears her programming suddenly changed. Something had invaded her working memory and was affecting her motor functions! Confusion reigned in her core as she took Morgana in her arms and began copying her classmate's dancing. Judging by the look of amazed horror in the other girl's eyes Morgana was just as terrified of what was happening to her own feet. Unable to resist they swung out into the open space before the stage.

The piper hopped across the stage and bumped shoulders with the fiddler, nodding towards the couples below them. Willie's eyebrows lifted as he caught sight of Oakley whirling the younger girl around, then frowned at the grinning woman next to him. The dratted pixie had done it again! "We'll be chatting shortly, Miss Hamlin!" he assured her in a low voice.

Undeterred by his threat, the piper hopped back to her position and played a few minutes more before a rising note ended the song.

Compulsion gone, Morgana and Tuppence jerked apart. "What… what was that?!" the android asked, desperately looking anywhere but her erstwhile dancing partner as she fought to keep her own logic processors from overloading.

Morgana's cheeks were burning as she stared at her feet, wishing she knew what had come over the two of them. She'd never danced before! Tapped her toes in time with music, sure! But to just suddenly be overcome with the need to make a fool of herself in front of a crowd? "I don't know! Why did you grab me like that?"

Tuppence shook her head in confusion. "I don't know. That woman started playing, and I just couldn't help myself!"

William looked over the crowd from the edge of the stage, fiddle clutched to his chest in attempt to control his anger. "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be taking a short break to deal with a technical difficulty." The rosined bow waved towards the line of vendors, "In the meantime, why don't you all partake of some refreshment."

Lowering the bow, he transferred it to his left hand and used the now free hand to catch the collar of his troublesome associate who was trying to sidle off the stage. "And now, Miss Hamlin, you are going to explain yourself to those unfortunate young people!" Twisting slightly he tossed her off the platform towards the foursome. Arms flailing, Hamlin landed tail first with a squawk of pain.

The Fox Faunas strode across the stage to stand next to the Hare. "William? Was it actually necessary to throw her like that?"she asked quietly, a look of concern on her face.

Turning, he sketched a short bow. "Yes, my love, it was. Excuse me for a moment, won't you? I feel we must make amends to my cousin and his friends for their ordeal." Leaping off the stage, he walked quickly to where the teens were staring down at the guilty face of the piper.

"Wot the 'ell, guv? That were rather brutal!" she complained, rubbing her lower back. "Could've use the stacked chairs, couldn't I just?"

Ignoring her complaint, Willie held out a hand to his cousin. "Hello Persimmon, it's good to see you again. Would you be so kind as to introduce me to your friends?"

Oakley grinned as they shook hands. "Mighty fine t' see you 'gain too cuz!" His free hand swept towards his classmates. "Little 'un there, she's Autumn. Tall 'un be Tuppence, an' t' one what looks like she swallered a lemon be Morgana. Gals, this be m'cousin William"

"Really, Persimmon, you must find better descriptions for your friends if you want to keep them!" Turning to the girls, he bowed, "Ladies, I am delighted to make your acquaintance and do wish it had been under better circumstances. On behalf of our group, may I offer our sincere apologies for any indignity visited upon you by our resident miscreant." His foot tapped the miscreant's thigh. "And I'm sure she is ready to apologize this instant!"

Hamlin quickly took the hint, ducking her head and removing the cap covering the bright orange hair, "Yes, yes! Sorry I am if my 'umor went a bit off. But you two luvverly ladies looked so stern, I thought t'would be best to 'elp lighten the mood. Only a bit 'a fun, eh?" She looked up with big sad eyes, trying to exude an air of innocence.

Morgana was having none of it. Her eyes narrowed as she jabbed a finger at the woman's nose. "You… you did something to us! You made us dance like that idiot Persimmon! How!?" she demanded angrily.

Hamlin pulled back, holding her instrument in front of her face. " 'old on y' mad cove! T'were only a dab of magic! Not a bit o' evil innit!"

Tuppence shouldered Morgana aside so she could tower over the woman. "You do know that Vale has a strict 'no first use of magic inside of city limits', don't you? I should report you to Professor Goodwitch!" The smile she turned on the woman was as sharp as a razor.

Hamlin's face paled at the name. "Please Miss! Not 'er! It's stripes oi'd wear first choice! Please!" The recorder rattled on the cobblestones as her hands rose imploringly, "Know the woman, I do! The very hide she'd 'ave off me, quick as a bleedin' wink she would!" Her wild eyes turned to Willie, a hand dipping over her heart, "O' kind sir, don't let'm give me over to that'n! Best be'avior, strait'n narrow! My word onnit!"

William raised a questioning eyebrow before turning to the girls. "Ladies? As you are the offended parties, I will leave the decision in your hands. Rest assured that I will enforce whatever you would choose is appropriate."

Tuppence thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Morgana knows more about magic than I do. I'll let her decide. But I still doubt this one's promises."

William raised the woman to her feet and stood with one hand on her shoulder as he surveyed the group. "Despite her poor judgment in this case, she has proven herself a woman of her word. A Huntress who breaks her promises soon leaves her good reputation in the dust."

Morgana stared into the pixie's eyes, flabbergasted at the description. "She's a Huntress!?"

William gave his cousin a questioning look, "Didn't he tell you? We're all Hunters and Huntresses."

"No, he didn't!" Morgana glared at the boy before turning back to the adults. "That still doesn't change anything!" Her finger stabbed at the woman again, "I'll accept her apology, but she's going to explain to me exactly how she managed that trick."

Hamlin brightened, a smile creasing her face. "O', yer a peach, Miss! Bit' a' schooling an' all is a pittance t' pay! Yer a real toff!" The recorder whistled as she whirled it aloft.

Persimmon leaned toward his cousin, "Ain't sure'a whut thet gal's a'sayin' cuz! Shore don't talk as good as y'all."

Hamlin bristled, "Wot's e' barkin' Master Will'm?"

Persimmon's hands curled into fists, "Whut?"

Hamlin's face darkened as she leaned towards the boy, "Wot?"

Cutting off the incipient battle, William turned the woman towards the stage and gave her a forceful push, "Linguistics lessons can wait, Miss Hamlin! We have a performance to finish." He gave a bow to the group, "I shall deliver her into your hands when we are done, Morgana."

"Please join us for ice cream afterwards, William." Tuppence offered.

"My lady and I will be most pleased to do so!" he called, raising the fiddle once more as the Fox Faunas stepped to the front of the stage. She smiled at the crowd and began to sing as the bow touched the fiddle.

"There were three drunken Huntsman, and nothing could they find

But a frog in a well down low, and that they left behind

A frog says the first, the second he said nay,

The third said 'a canary, with feathers washed away!'

Well all that night they hunted, and nothing could they find

But a ship in full sail, and that they left behind

A ship says the first, the second he said aye

The third said 'a washtub, and clothes hung up to dry!'

Tuppence struggled for a moment, trying to comprehend the meaning of the song, but gave it up. She'd have to ask one of the adults later. Probably not her uncle, she decided, since he didn't drink.

"Sounds like Yang's uncle," Autumn announced with a grin. Around them the crowd was laughing uproariously.

"Ah thort magic were all 'bout smashin' an' burnin' stuff!" Persimmon said, looking suspiciously at Morgana.

Morgana shrugged, still looking at the stage, "Most of what I've learned has been about that, but Miss Goodwitch says it can be used to mend things also." Her shoulders fell in dejection, "I've got so much to learn!"

Autumn's finger prodded her friend's back, "We all do, so don't feel all alone. In the meantime, let's get something to eat before Persimmon's noisy stomach drowns out the music." A loud growl from the boy's abdomen punctuated her words.

Following a particularly enticing scent, the group made its way through the tables to one of the stalls lining the square. Morgana looked around the crowd as they waited in line, "I haven't seen your mother yet, Autumn. Didn't she come with you?"

Autumn waved a hand dismissively as she scanned the list of offerings on a chalk board. "Nah! She's getting ready to go out on a contract with Velvet and Yatsuhashi. Some port got taken over by bandits and they're gonna clear it out. I think she said it was called Cold Harbor, or something like that." Seeing an opening at the counter, she jumped forward to place her order.

"I don't know," Morgana told Tuppence. "I mean, shouldn't they take more people along?"

The android took a moment to search her memory. "Well, it's really not a big place so there can't be very many of them. I guess they figured three would be enough."

Persimmon nudged Morgana as he eagerly watched Autumn's back for signs that she was done ordering. "Heck! Miz Renee could prob'ly clean 'm out her own self!" Seeing his smaller classmate turn away from the counter, he dashed into the vacant space without another word.

Tuppence shoved her classmate forward to keep the line moving, hoping the vendor had a smaller bowl available than the one that Autumn had chosen. "I know things are getting worse out there, but trust the adults to handle it, Morgana! Personally, I'm not going to worry about it until the Professor starts taking contracts." As Persimmon turned away from the counter she shoved Morgana into the vacant space, frowning at the large bowl that he held.

Drat! I can't hold that much! She quickly scanned the board again in a desperate search for a child's meal. Mentally groaning as her friend turned away from the counter with another large bowl, she stepped forward and ordered a 'Tiny Tot' dinner.

I'm never going to live this down! She thought, turning away with a bowl that easily fit into one hand.

* * *

A/N: (Still not dead yet, for those who were wondering)

Music and magic…are an interesting combination. Even people who can't make music and don't dance feel the need to tap their toes or move to the melody when their favorite song plays. (Yes, I hold my hand up to that)

An animated music video on the web (search for 'Carnival in Libernia') that set my own feet to moving, and the story of the Pied Piper of Hamlin were responsible for Morgana's discovery that the boundaries of her abilities may not be limited to what she's been taught.

As for the instrument used by the Fox Faunas, they are Uillean Pipes from Ireland. The song she sings is my own adaptation of 'Three Drunken Welshman' from the mid-1600's. Filk songs are a bad habit I picked up from the local Science Fiction Convention (Bubonicon) far too many years ago.

Disclaimer: As always, I lay no claim to the characters in RWBY created by Roosterteeth, only those that spring from my own imagination. While keeping true to the original character attitudes of Goodwitch and other main characters from the anime, the new students will do as they see fit.

Now get out there and see how far you can expand your own boundaries, and remember…

Keep Writing!

Vindictious


	15. Chapter 15

HART-TNG

Chapter 15

Tests of skill and courage

The year ends with a series of challenges for the students. Singly and collectively they find themselves pitted against each other as well as their teacher's wiles. Mental and physical abilities have grown over the past year, but enough to pass?

* * *

A gentle breeze stirred the moonlit flag, the pale pennon fluttering for a moment like a restive bird before settling against the slim pole again.

Hidden in the blackness beneath the trees surrounding the glade, dark adapted eyes scanned the open expanse for furtive movements of others seeking the prize. The watcher considered the height of the grass in the distance with a grimace of distaste.

Hath had been here, there was no doubt of it. He must have taken a mower to the greenery to ensure that it was a level three inches all around the area. The veteran soldier wasn't about to give anyone an easy victory. Especially since he'd decided that anyone touched by another competitor was disqualified.

Autumn grimaced again as she scanned the area once more, looking for any movement that couldn't be accounted for by wind alone. Satisfied that the others hadn't arrived yet, she slid around the bole of the tree on hands and knees, carefully avoiding twigs that might snap and give her position away. Every meter closer to the target increased points for a passing grade, but holding the flag ensured top marks for the student. The patrolling teachers, along with volunteer Huntresses and Hunters, had been bypassed easily. A tighter ring of alert soldiers of the Ninety-Fifth had been tougher to slip past, but she'd managed it. She'd almost been able to touch Aldus as she ghosted past him in the night. She grinned in the darkness as her Faunas ears swiveled, searching for any stray noises before she ventured into the clearing. Satisfied, she silently lifted herself slightly in preparation.

A branch overhead shuddered a second before a heavy weight landing between her shoulder blades drove her face into the ground.

"Whut makes y'all think yer t' only sneeker out here?" a voice whispered in her ear.

"Oakley! I… am gonna kill you!" she promised quietly, wiping dirt from her eyes.

"Tag! Yer it!" he jubilantly whispered, sliding off her and lying on his side to watch the furiously scowling girl. "Now you be hush whilst ah show y'all how it be done."

Her glance flicked to the grassy expanse before returning to his face. "Good luck with that!" she hissed, raising a finger to point into the empty field.

Oakley's wide eyes quickly scanned the glade. "Where'd the dang thing go?" he huffed angrily.

Rolling over on her back, she laced her fingers on her stomach and studied the leaves overhead. "Bet it was Tuppence. You were so busy trying to catch me that she's had all the time in the world to steal it!" Unlacing her fingers, she whacked him in the kidneys.

Their instructor appeared in the middle of the glade, rising from the short grass like a mist. Looking directly at them, he clapped his hands for attention. "All right, you three head back to the start point for your grades."

The two rose up from dirt, silently blaming each other for the defeat. Turning unhappy faces back in the direction they'd come, they quietly retraced their steps. Deeper in the woods they heard footsteps off to their right, all pretense of stealth forgotten. Autumn wondered how her best friend was taking her loss.

* * *

The pole mounted lights of the firing range flickered to life, blinding the pair as they approached. Persimmon lifted a hand to shield his eyes, stopping quickly enough that Autumn had to put out her hands to avoid a collision.

"What's with you, dufus?" she asked angrily.

"Nah! Cain't be!" he replied, wiping a hand across his eyes as if to clear them. "That jest ain't raht!"

Autumn's eyes widened in shock as she regarded the girl standing by the table, one fist on her hip as she proudly displayed the stolen flag. "Morgana?!"

"Yes, it's her," a dull voice said next to them.

The pair turned to stare into the begrimed face of their fourth classmate. Scratches decorated both cheeks and arms. A lone leaf dangled forlornly over one ear like a fashion accessory. "Whut t' heck happened to y'all?" Persimmon whispered.

"I had to duck into a thorn bush trying to avoid your father!" Tuppence complained to the young girl staring at her. "He almost found me when my stupid parasol got stuck!" She winced as Morgana began to crow in delight, "So I got there just in time to see her snatch the flag while you two were arguing." Seeing their teacher approaching, she urged the others forward to their usual spot by the table.

Morgana's antics cut off as she was lifted into the air, dangling by one hand as Hath gently shook the pole. "That will be enough, Miss LeFay. You can let go now."

With a mumbled apology she dropped to the ground and stepped back to stand by her classmates.

The soldier held up a sheaf of papers as he paced the line. "These are your grades for the first part of your testing," he said in a neutral voice. "Miss Calvin had the highest score of one-hundred percent in the written exams, which does not surprise me. Miss LeFay scored ninety-seven, again no surprise." He paused to scowl at the last two, "Miss Delacourt and Mister Oakley managed seventy-five percent and eighty-one percent respectively. Personally, I find that rather disappointing."

The pair wilted under his gaze, shoulders drooping. "Sorry suh!" Persimmon moaned.

Hath ignored them, shuffling papers for a moment. "The story here on the range is somewhat different. Miss Delacourt managed a respectable ninety-five percent, and Mister Oakley got ninety-one. Miss LeFay's tests with the Professor have also gone well, leaving her with a score of ninety. Miss Washi has decided that Miss Calvin's progress in Cane Style merits a score of eighty-five."

Folding the papers, he slipped them into a pocket. Standing with his arms crossed, he gave them a scowl. "So you all have managed a passing grade…" His scowl deepened as their faces glowed with hope, "… for now!" The scowl was replaced by an evil grin, something they had all learned to distrust. "But you still have one more test, and the others have told me 'not' to warn you about it." The corners of his mouth lifted further, "Which means that our little exercise tonight is just a warm up for what's to come!"

"We all gonna die!" a downcast Persimmon whispered. He grunted slightly as Morgana's elbow connected with his ribs.

A sharp hand clap jerked them out of their visions of doom. "All right! You have until oh eight hundred to get something to eat and catch up on your sleep. Gundar will be here shortly to drive you all home." He crooked a finger at his ward, "Persimmon? Let's take a little walk. I feel the need for some exercise after lying in the grass all night."

Morgana turned a sad face towards the others as the two disappeared into the night. "Think he's going to be alright for the morning?"

Autumn nodded glumly, watching the approaching headlights that briefly illuminated the pair, "He'll be fine. He got an eighty-one! I'm the one that's gonna die when my parents find out." She looked up at Tuppence as the taller girl gave her shoulder a firm shake.

"Don't sweat it. You've managed a decent score overall, so you can be proud of that." Her other hand waved towards the oncoming vehicle, "What's the worst that they could do?"

The younger girl cringed as the car rolled to a stop nearby. "You have no idea what my Mom's like when she's upset. Seventy-five on the written test is gonna send her over the edge!"

* * *

"They're here!" Buoyed with excitement, Morgana took the stairs two at a time, her backpack bouncing in time with her steps. Professor Goodwitch's quiet praise and five hours of sleep had done wonders for her outlook on the coming test.

The excitement drained away as soon as the car door was open, her cheery greeting halting midsentence as she took in her classmate's erect posture and firmly closed lips. She promptly sat, closing the door gently and making a show of fastening her seatbelt. Copying her friend's posture, she snuck a glance past a sweating Oakley to where her best friend sat, the younger girl's eyes firmly fixed on the back of her mother's head. Autumn's prediction must have come true.

The trip to Hart's home was mercifully quick, the silence broken occasionally by the rumble of tires in rough spots. Rolling to a stop by the main building, Renee sat with her hands perched on the steering wheel for a moment. Her face softened as she turned her head towards them. "I want you all to know how pleased I am with your progress in the past year." She said in a gentle tone, "I'm going out on a contract today so I can't be here for this, but I wanted to tell you that I have faith that you'll do well." She twisted further to look into Autumn's eyes, "Faith in all of you!"

The others voiced their thanks in return as the girl mutely ducked her head in acknowledgement. "I won't let you down again!" she promised quietly.

Renee smiled as she pressed a button on the dashboard to open the trunk. "I know you won't. Now you all get out there and show them what you've learned, okay?"

They had barely gotten around the house when a form blurred past them, causing a mad scramble to avoid colliding. An exultant "Yahoo" echoed off the building as they picked themselves up from the grass.

Persimmon leaned against a wall, shaking his head to clear it. "Whut wuz thet!?"

Autumn blinked, unsure of what she was seeing. She could swear that the petite woman weaving through the trees around the clearing at high speed wasn't, in fact, moving her feet. Another wild cry confirmed her suspicion. "That's Akiko!"

Morgana shaded her eyes with one hand, head swiveling to follow the woman's movements. "How's she doing that?" she asked as their teacher rocketed off a mound of dirt into a mid-air somersault.

Tuppence spotted the reflection of metal between Akiko's feet as she landed. "A hoverboard! But when did she get one?"

The answer became apparent as Akiko slowed to a halt next to a group of adults clustered on the far side of the field. Hopping to the ground, she handed the board to a figure in a hooded sweatshirt. Yang raised a hand and waved at the four students, golden light reflecting from her wrist. "C'mon! Get over here before I start deducting points for being late!" she yelled.

Autumn turned sorrowful eyes to Persimmon, "You were right. We're gonna die!" she moaned. "She's wearing Amber Celica!"

Morgana glanced at the group of adults, then shoved her younger friend towards them, "Could be dangerous… you go first!

Oakley grinned at the pair as they traded glares. "Yup! You goes first…" he cocked a thumb at Tuppence, "…an' ah'll be right b'hind her!" He yelped as one long ear was caught up by the android.

"Enough! Get a move on before we get in trouble," she admonished the other two before marching off across the field, the struggling boy in tow.

* * *

The wind driven paper batted at Hercule's shoe as it skittered past, coming to rest atop the object that had riveted his attention. He lifted the paper aside, letting the wind take it down the mouth of the alleyway. Morning sunlight glinted off the metal in his palm as he straightened.

His partner sauntered over from where she'd been conducting interviews with potential witnesses, the fitful wind blowing tendrils of her hair over the thin face. "We got lucky, sort of," she reported. "One of the children stated that she saw the missing girl following a "funny looking man" down this alley during the performance."

"Well Slick, with a description like that we'll have this case wrapped up in no time. Here's some confirmation for your witness. Another clue that leads nowhere!" Hercule said sarcastically, letting the child's necklace slide off his palm into her waiting hand.

"What have I said about calling me 'Slick'?!" she snapped at him, slipping the jewelry into an envelope.

His head drooped. "Sorry Leaphorn. This case is getting to me."

Sliding the envelope into a pocket, she laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know. This makes six in the last two months, and we haven't gotten any of them back yet." The hand slid off his shoulder, ending up in the pocket of her long coat. "And the chief called while you were wandering around." She waited patiently for him to finish with the profanity before continuing. "He said to turn our files over to the VSDF and let them handle it." The second round of cursing was accomplished at a higher volume.

Hercule rubbed his eyes gently when he'd finished. "Did he give us a time limit?" Leaphorn held up two fingers. He smiled sourly in return, "Forty-eight hours! And somehow Snipe's bravos are going to grow a brain and solve this case instead of us!" He stepped closer to his partner, quickly glancing around the square. "We both know just how wrong this smells, so we're going to invest in some insurance. Go back to the office and make four copies of everything we have so far. Keep one for us, mark one for the VSDF, and bring the others to the old bazaar down by the docks. I'll meet you there after I talk to a few folks."

Leaphorn nodded. "Watch your ass, old man!" she whispered, "There's something going on here that goes way beyond kidnapping!" She whirled and strode back down the street towards their car, hands inside the pockets of her long coat.

Hercule nodded assent as he turned towards the alley, certain that her right hand rested on the butt of a gun. He liked the way his young partner saw things so clearly. There was definitely something more to this case, and it was time to call in a few favors from the unsavory sections of Vale.

* * *

Autumn clutched the ice pack tighter as she prodded the loose tooth with her tongue. Her swelling jaw was the worst of her injuries, and certainly couldn't match Persimmon's tightly wrapped right ear. Morgana had been mortified when her fireball had whizzed past him close enough to singe.

The other two girls sported an assortment of bruises, mostly hidden by clothing. Tuppence, she noted, was still wearing that same placid face as always but Autumn knew the older girl had taken at least two solid hits from the woman with the hoverboard. She had to be hurting, but was refusing to show it.

Yang's announcement that she and Hart would act as referees had been offset by introducing the two Huntresses who had agreed to help out with the test. That white-haired woman, Arlan, had a punch that rivaled Yang's, much to Autumn's dismay. Her friend's hoverboard had proven to be another surprise for the students. Reese was quick, the girl admitted, and the multiple blasts from the hidden guns had kept the kids hopping! Tuppence had almost solved the problem by snagging the board with her chain, until Akiko had appeared behind her. The teacher's metal staff had knocked the girl across the field and into Morgana's arms just as her fireball was loosed. Fortunately for him, Persimmon was already falling when it shot past where his face had been a moment before.

Things had gone downhill from there.

"Whutcha think?" Oakley's question brought her back to the moment.

She stopped prodding the tooth and turned to him. "About what?"

The boy nodded towards the group of adults clustered in the middle of the field, "Think we done passed?" he asked Morgana as he hoisted her up from the grass.

"Jeez! I hope so. I don't want a make-up test after this!" she muttered, gently touching the back of Persimmon's head, "Sorry about the ear, Oakley."

The boy shrugged. "Fergit it. Still ziggin' when I should zag," he said philosophically.

"We passed!" Autumn's tone dared any to object. "We may not have won, but we stood up to three certified Huntresses!" She pointed across the field to the woman standing on her hoverboard, the dark stain of a bloody nose visible on the front of her sweatshirt, "And they darned well know we were there too!"

"Squirt's right," Tuppence said, ruffling the hair between Autumn's ears, "I know we all got at least one good shot in, and nobody ran. For our first year I'd call that a win!"

"Don't call me Squirt!" Autumn muttered halfheartedly, watching Akiko striding through the grass in their direction. Her Aunt's face wore its normally bland expression, but she could see the tightness around the eyes. Something told her that they weren't quite done yet.

* * *

Akiko forced her face to appear calm. Her students had followed her without question as she led them into the forest. She knew that it wouldn't last, not when they arrived at the spot she'd chosen more than a year before, a place the youngest among them would remember vividly.

The clearing hadn't changed much, a new layer of leaves covering the gravel and a bit of moss growing in the channel blasted into the side of the remaining stone. Autumn and the others gathered in a line when Akiko pointed without speaking. Morgana fidgeted, burning to ask why they'd been led here.

Tuppence took note of the stone's shape, comparing the lighter shade of the channel carved on one side to the overall darker granite surrounding it. At two meters tall she reckoned that it must weigh at least two tons. Their youngest friend almost seemed to expect this turn of events, whatever it was. Her suspicion was confirmed when Akiko beckoned Autumn forward.

"This is not a part of your semester test, little one. I offer it to you now if you want to try again," the petite Huntress said in a neutral voice.

Yeah, like I'm gonna refuse, Autumn thought as she glanced at the stone, then back to her Aunt. For a moment she could swear that the woman's hands were tensing on her staff as the girl pondered her answer. She's as nervous as I am!

"Y'all want he'p? We be heah fo' ya, gal!"

Autumn could see Akiko struggling not to smile at Oakley's offer. "No thanks, Pers! I got this. You can have the leftovers," she called over her shoulder while drawing her staff from its place one her back. Extending it fully, she bowed to her teacher. "Thank you for this moment, Sensei."

Eyes shining, her teacher returned the bow before stepping out of the way.

Fists clenched, Morgana watched her friend prepare herself. "You can do it! Just focus." she whispered. She jumped slightly as Persimmon covered her right hand with his, Tuppence doing the same to her left a heartbeat later. All three hunched slightly forwards as if straining to add their own strength to Autumn's as the young Faunas' staff whirled around into a guard position.

Autumn took a breath, tuning out the world around her to focus on the stone. Her father would have called it 'getting into the zone' where the only thing that mattered was the target. A year earlier her teacher had utterly destroyed the twin to this outcrop with one blow, but she didn't want repeat that.

She wanted to do better.

She closed her eyes, slowing her breathing. The stone wasn't going anywhere, yet. A year ago she had stuck the monolith blindly, strength without direction. What had she learned since then from the most important people in her life? All of them had shown her something useful.

Mom? She had the immovable strength of a mountain, but had the unstoppable force of a landslide. Once started, nothing could turn her aside.

Dad? He and his partner were focused death delivered from a distance precisely onto a tiny spot. Always in the ten ring. Lives hung in the balance, depending on that one perfect shot. Missing was not an option!

Hart? The grace and power of a dancer coupled with a will of iron driving in to the kill. The mind was the weapon, the sword was a tool of the will.

Akiko? Speed combined with unshakeable balance. Always striking with just the force necessary to accomplish the job. A small body moving with the power of a mighty river.

Tan? Unbridled ferocity with nothing held back, but always directed to overcoming anything in his path. Everything thrown against the enemy, nothing withheld until victory was assured.

Yang? She could shape her Aura like an artist for offense as well as defense. One hand a hammer, the other a knife. The woman had a power that extended beyond the confines of the body.

The troopers of the Ninety-Fifth? They were the embodiment of loyalty, dedication, and teamwork. Their motto said it all, the unwillingness to give up just because things get tough. She had learned many things from them about working together to accomplish a task (and a somewhat coarser language than she was willing to let her mother know about).

She was a composite of all of these, forming the knowledge into her own style. This was her moment to prove it.

But it wasn't just her moment, and she wanted to share it with her friends who'd supported her during the last year.

After the dust settled Akiko decided that recording the proceedings on her scroll had been a very good idea. It would have been hard to get the others to believe what happened without evidence.

Autumn blurred as she spun in place, the staff driving a solid disc of stone out of the middle of the monolith. As it flew off into the surrounding trees she stepped to one side, turning to face her classmates as the top half settled onto its new base with a loud crunch.

"Tuppence?" Autumn formed a triangle with her hands as the tall girl nodded, "Think you can slim the top down?"

Whisking the parasol off her back, Tuppence flicked the blade out on its chain. The curved metal flew twice at the target, thick slabs sliding down to the ground in its wake.

"Morgana?" Autumn called, "I know you've got a trick up your sleeve. Think you can make that triangle disappear?"

A ball of swirling silver power appeared in Morgana's right palm. Dashing across the grass, she slapped it against the angular top, focusing her Aura behind it. Gravel sprayed into the trees as she skipped backwards, a huge smile on her face. "I've been waiting for months to try that!"

" Persimmon? The rest is yours!" Autumn offered, waving grandly at the remains.

Oakley lifted his axe from its resting place, then bowed to her. "Thankee kindly, Miz Autumn!" He patted the flattened hammer opposite the curved blade, "Ah reckon' t' do y'all proud!" Leaping high in the air, he swept it downwards as he neared his target. The combined force of Aura, blasting Dust, and momentum drove the splintered remains of rock into the ground.

Akiko smiled behind the scroll as she panned it across the group celebrating with hugs and high-fives. "I think we can all be proud of their achievements," she said, speaking to the intended recipients of the recording. She began setting up the address list after shutting the recorder off.

"Sensei?"

"Yes?" Akiko pressed the 'send' key before looking up at the group in front of her.

Morgana held up her own scroll, "May I have a copy of that, please? I'd like to show it to the Professor." The others had their own scrolls out as well.

"No." She grinned at the crestfallen looks of her students. "I have just sent it to everyone you know, and I don't doubt they will be eager to congratulate you as soon as we can get back," she explained smugly.

Morgana and Autumn grinned at each other before throwing themselves onto the petite woman. "Thank you, Sensei!" As Akiko tottered backwards, Persimmon jumped in with a shout of glee.

Tuppence eyed the tilting pile, gauging how long it would be before they all ended up on the ground. "Ahh…what the hell! Might as well," she muttered, setting her scroll to record and propping it up on a nearby shard of stone before leaping onto Persimmon's back. Overbalanced, they fell to the ground laughing.

It was a great way to end the year, after all.

* * *

A/N: The first year is finished, and the kids are still in one piece (more or less).

The newest characters may, or may not be familiar. Hercule comes from Dame Agatha Christie's works, and Leaphorn from Tony Hillerman's novels. Living in the Southwest, I couldn't leave Leaphorn out when I needed a detective.

What? You thought I'd rebuild the city of Vale and not have police included? Who'd chase down stowaway Faunas?

And the usual disclaimer: I claim only those characters and situations that I have created, RWBY being the property of Roosterteeth. As for character names borrowed from other works, I hope to do them justice.

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	16. Chapter 16

HART-TNG

Chapter 16

Ill Tidings

Things take a turn towards the dark side.

* * *

Colonel Patrick Harper sat quietly as his aide poured coffee for the unexpected guests after they had settled themselves on the couch in his office. Picking up a steaming cup he leaned back into the chair and examined the pair over the rim as he sipped. Setting it aside, he smiled benignly at them. "So what brings two detectives into my office this morning?" He noticed the woman was keeping her own cup at face level, taking small sips and examining him in return. The act seemed almost defensive. Her partner set his own cup aside and relaxed against the couch back.

Leaphorn was actually trying to relieve her own tension as she sipped, but it was proving difficult. The man across from her might be several decades her senior, but he looked about as soft as a slab of seasoned hardwood. His aide, if that's what the woman with her back to the door actually was, wore a large knife on her belt, the worn grip a testament to her ability with that particular tool of her trade. The intensity her attention on the visitors made Leaphorn uncomfortable. What few troopers she'd met in the line of duty were uncomplicated folks who were used to having the last word in any physical argument, no matter who they were dealing with. Cleaning up after one of Vale's criminals had attempted to mug a trooper had been unsettling to say the least. Letting her partner take the lead seemed to be the best course of action, since Hercule knew how to deal with people like these better than she did and listening to him ply his trade was always educational.

Ignoring the Corporal, Hercule spoke directly to the man opposite. "Colonel, before we begin, could I trouble you for your views on the Police in our fair city? Perhaps this will help in my own explanation of our appearance on your doorstep."

Harper wrinkled his nose, realizing with some small disgust just how little he knew about the police in his adopted city. Other than the few times he'd been forced to send an officer into town to request the release of one of his own from their tender mercies he'd had very little contact with them. He glanced at Gwinnith and considered asking her opinion on the matter, but discarded the notion as hazardous to the continued peace in the room. "I can't say that I know much of anything about them," he admitted. "I've attended a few civic functions and met the Chief maybe twice over the last five years." He noted that the woman's eyes narrowed at the mention of her superior. "Other than that, there've been a few official reports that crossed my desk. Nothing I would call revealing about the structure of the force. I'm sorry, but I can't say that I have enough information to form a personal opinion either positive or negative."

Hercule chuckled as he reached for his cup, "You need to get out more, Colonel! Allow me, then, to add to your knowledge." He sobered, eyes on the dark liquid, "The night of the Vytal Festival fourteen years ago, there were slightly over three hundred officers on the force, eighteen of them detectives. I was the most junior of these, having recently been promoted. When the sun rose the next morning, there were seventy-five patrolmen still alive and only two detectives." The cup tilted slightly towards his partner. "Leaphorn, here, joined us two years ago. Came out of Vacuo, where I understand things weren't quite as bad as they were here." For a moment he let the pain show on his face, "We had no armor and were armed with mediocre hand guns, standing our ground in a suicidal attempt to protect citizens against heavily armed White Fang and Grim that shrugged off everything we did. Only a few of ours ran without firing a shot, our current Chief among them. I ran out of ammunition before admitting that there was nothing I did that could stop what was happening." A sigh gusted from him, "I managed to escape while my comrades and those civilians we were supposed to protect died around me."

Survivor's guilt, Harper thought to himself. He'd dealt with it himself as he rallied the troopers under his command. They all survived that night of horrors when their friends hadn't, and had wondered why. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Detective. None of us could stop it either. Call it luck, or fate, or the whim of a god that we survived, and were given a second chance."

Hercule shrugged, "Indeed. But I digress. Would you care to hazard a guess as to how many police there are currently in Vale?"

Harper gave a shrug of his own, "Three, maybe four hundred?"

Leaphorn set her cup down a bit more forcefully than she intended. "One hundred and ten. And we're two of the three detectives. We were supposed to finally have funding this year for another two hundred officers, but the Council chose to use that money elsewhere. You lot were given a raise, and the Vale Self Defense Force got itself a new mess hall."

Gwinnith coughed into her fist, "Beggin' yer pardon, Sair, but what the lass says is true. A grand new building for the fine officers of the SDF to eat their meals away fra' the lower ranks. Caused a bit of a fuss, it did. T'would be one a' the reasons that some o' their enlisted ha' applied ta' join wi' our own troop!" She spread her hands helplessly, "An' I canna say that any a' ours would be willin' t' hand back the money they were gi'en."

Hercule nodded, "One might be tempted to think that the current staffing reflects a lower crime rate, yes?" He mimed tossing something aside, "Not so, Colonel. Crime has risen steadily over the years, unlike our ability to prevent it. Our leadership, the Chief of Police and some few on the city's council, have denied the need for more officers. They argue most persuasively about how the numbers are inflated, how the common beat officers are not performing to the best of their abilities. Thus we are constrained by those in power. Our supporters are too few in number to change that."

Harper nodded somberly, "And what would that have to do with us, then, Detective? The Ninety-Fifth isn't trained for police work."

"Of course not. One does not arrest Grim, do they? No, Colonel Harper, we are here for an entirely different purpose. One which relies on the fact that you, unlike our superiors, have sworn yourselves to the defense of our fair city. And thus we would like you to hold onto these…" He gestured to his partner who laid three data wafers on the coffee table, "…as something of an insurance policy."

Harper prudently refrained from reaching for the wafers. "Insurance against what, exactly?"

Leaphorn answered first, "Accidents!" She glared at her partner as if daring him to deny it.

"Any specific kind?" Harper asked in a neutral voice.

The detective picked up her cup again, watching him over the rim as she sipped. "Oh, just the usual. Brake failure, accidently dropping an electric appliance into your bath, maybe becoming so despondent at not solving the case that you eat a bullet!" She shrugged dismissively, "The kind of thing you expect when you start getting too close to an answer that upsets the wrong people in high places. The kind of accident that occurs after discovering that not all the money was used for buildings or raises!" Setting the cup down again, she pushed the wafers across the table. "It started six months ago when several children went missing in the city. Then they started disappearing in surrounding villages, outside our jurisdiction. Occasionally the parent, or parents, turned up dead. A few could be attributed to the bandits roaming around. Inside the city the numbers continued to grow, but they were written off as victims of muggings gone wrong or runaways. Our informants tell us this has been happening in other kingdoms to a lesser extent for even longer. This is every bit of evidence we discovered since being assigned this case, and it points off to the northwest. There's a small port, Cold Harbor they call it. Smugglers used it in the past and it doesn't see a lot of traffic in the best of times. For the last six months vehicles have made regular visits from Vale and its surroundings, always when the authorities are looking elsewhere. Bandits took over the port town at about the same time. What little we know suggests that they quietly murdered everyone who couldn't run fast enough, and grabbed a couple of the ships in the harbor. Those ships have been busy, Colonel, and no one seems to know what they carry or where they take their cargo to. They've never been seen in any other port in the kingdom."

Harper turned to his aide, "Wasn't there something about that in this morning's report? Some note about Ulfur's wife going out there?"

Boudicca nodded. "Aye, Sair! I'll wager t'will be summat dreadful when she finds those people."

Hercule looked at the two, perplexed by their comments. "Dreadful?"

"Aye, Detective. Woman's got a bit of a temper if yeh ken what ah mean!"

* * *

The dock quivered slightly as 'Kraken's Eye' settled to the bottom, steam hissing from the jagged rents on its side as cold water met burning timbers. From the road paralleling the harbor, Neo noted the bodies of the pirate crew bobbing gently in the waves next to it. Popping her umbrella open, she rested it on one shoulder while scowling at the source of the destruction walking towards her. Mayhem echoed from the streets deeper in the small town, proof that there was more than one problem.

This had not been part of the plan proposed by her masked employer. Kidnapping (she smiled at the word) children was easy enough, as was murdering their helpless parents. She didn't care where the cages of squalling brats ended up as long as the Lien kept flowing. But now it looked like the cash flow was coming to an end. Once she'd dealt with this interfering stranger it would be time to visit the gang's storeroom before decamping. From the look of it there was no one left to share the money with anyway.

Renee paused, hands on hips as she inspected the short woman. She snapped her fingers before pointing at the colorful outfit. "I know that look! You were famous a while back, weren't you?" she said in a derisive tone. "You go by Neo, right?"

Neo smirked and bowed in acknowledgement.

Renee waved as if wiping the remark away. "You really ought to go by something else. 'Neo' means new, and honey there ain't nothing new about a psycho bitch with bad fashion sense!" The Huntress swore she could hear her opponents teeth grinding as the umbrella swept down, panels folding shut.

Good!

"Oy! Delacourt! Need a hand?" Velvet called from her perch on a nearby rooftop.

Renee kept one Faunas ear turned towards Neo as her head swiveled to face the Huntress. "For this shrimp? That's insulting, Scarlatina!"

Velvet's hands rose in surrender as she settled back to watch. Renee caught the faint swish of displaced air as she turned back.

Neo's face registered the shock of having her boot caught before it connected. She'd been ready to leap into the air for a second kick if the woman managed to block, but the iron grip on her ankle made that impossible. She definitely wasn't ready for the rock-hard fist that smashed into the inside of her knee before she was released, eliciting a mew of pain as she hopped backwards.

Renee was impressed at the balance displayed by the wounded bandit. She barely caught the umbrella as it thrust towards her throat. A brief tug of war ensued as Neo attempted to free it from the crushing grip. She snarled silently at Renee's smug smile, before pressing the catch to release the hidden blade from its scabbard.

Renee stumbled back a few steps, wary of the thin blade pointed at her. Deciding that keeping her opponent mentally off balance seemed to be working, she bent the remains of the umbrella into a 'U' before casually tossing it aside. She tried to pour as much scorn and derision in her voice as she could, "What is that? A sewing needle? You're as bad as Hart! That's not a sword!" She reached over her shoulder and unlimbered Sunset, holding the massive blade upright between them. "Now this… this is a sword!" Igniting the blade, she swung it in a fast figure eight that left a blur of light in its wake. Velvet's laughter rang off the buildings around them, drawing Neo's eye to where the Faunas was holding her ribs and shaking with mirth. What was with these two?

A tall man appeared on the roof, standing next to the reclining Faunas, his bronze colored sword sweeping upright in salute to Renee. "She is the last," Yatsuhashi called out.

Deciding that the odds were against her, Neo hissed defiance at the big woman before leaping backwards and disappearing.

"Well, that was certainly anticlimactic!" Velvet observed as she leapt to the ground. She lifted the bent umbrella and handed it to her friend. "Souvenir?"

Renee hooked it over one shoulder, patting it in place. "Yep! A little something for Xiao Long."

The trio strode down the length of the dock to watch the second pirate vessel sailing of into the distance. "Think they're heading for Patch?" Velvet asked.

Renee shielded her eyes, estimating the angle between the distant island and the ship. "Don't think so. Looks like it's heading further north and west, but I'll call Yang's dad and ask him to keep an eye out."

Velvet's long ears twitched. "What's that sound? It's a bit like kittens crying."

Renee cupped her triangular ears, closing her eyes to concentrate. Her head swung back and forth as she localized the sound, finally settling on the retreating ship. Over the wave tops came a thin wail, one of the noises she'd heard before from her own daughter's bedroom when nightmares had intruded.

Children screaming in terror, the sound dwindling as the ship sailed on.

For a moment Scarlatina was sure that the woman next to her had suddenly taken on her partner Tan's Semblance, hazel eyes seeming to blaze with hellfire as the big woman turned towards the town again. She'd seen her large friend angry before, but never like this. The slighter Faunas cringed back against her own partner's solid form, feeling him take a step backwards also. Here was something that no male, Faunas or Human, could match. This was the wrath of the she-bear writ large! Long ears flattened down her back at Renee's tortured scream.

"YOU BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!"

* * *

The remains of the umbrella creaked alarmingly in the prosthetic hand as Velvet's story unfolded, drawing every eye in the room to the blonde's furious face.

Velvet cleared her throat nervously. "And then she said she was going home just long enough to get some clothes for the road, and she's heading back out again day after tomorrow and wouldn't stop until she had this bi…" she glanced down to where the youngest member of her audience was sitting, "…woman's head on a spike," she finished.

Autumn smiled at the sudden shift in words. "It's all right, Miss Scarlatina. I know what she's like when she's angry and I've heard the word before."

Her father looked down at her, scandalized at the admission. "And just where did you hear that kind of language?" he growled. His daughter cocked her head to one side, one hand spread as she ticked off names, "Mom, McCoy, Semmel, Colonel Harper,…"

Hath leaned over to whisper in his comrade's ear, "Parenting 101: never leave your kid alone with people like you!" he said as Ulfur shushed his daughter.

"She say anything else?" Yang asked gruffly.

Velvet nodded, pointing to a dot on the map a few inches east of the coast. "She said that you had two days after that to catch up with her here. She won't wait any longer."

The mangled umbrella clattered onto the table. "Color me gone, then!"

Glynda looked up from the papers she was studying at the end of the table. "What about your classes, Miss Xiao Long?"

The younger woman lifted a golden thumb, "No problem, Prof! We've got the better part of two weeks till they start again. If Renee and I haven't caught her by then, I'll head back."

"Yang?" Autumn said from the other side of the table, "Bring my Mom back with you, okay?"

"You got it, kiddo! See you all later!" the blonde called over her shoulder as she went out the door.

Ulfur gently urged his daughter out of her seat. "Guess we better head home and spend some time with her before then." Autumn nodded eagerly but was halted by Glynda calling her name.

"Morgana wanted me to remind you about staying the night tomorrow. I won't be there until late, but I do expect anything resembling a pillow fight to remain within the confines of her bedroom. And no feeding the cat snacks!" the Professor reminded her.

"Yes Ma'am!" the teen acknowledged, looking up at her father. "Guess that means you and Mom get a little time alone! Eh?" Her elbow dug into his side before she dashed for the doorway.

Ulfur dropped his head into his hands as a few of the assembled adults began to laugh. "Just what I needed. Public embarrassment, courtesy of my own daughter!"

* * *

Persimmon maneuvered the tall stack of bags into a more comfortable position, hearing the snacks inside crunch slightly. "Ain't yew got enough yet?" he asked the girl perusing the shelves. Somehow he'd missed the part where her invitation to join the shopping expedition had included his becoming a second set of hands for her purchases.

Morgana paused, one hand fluttering between two boxes of popcorn as she considered the value of buttered versus plain. "We still have two more aisles to look through. Then there's drinks and stuff still to get!" She flipped the box of buttered up onto the stack in his arms. She snickered as his long ears flopped down onto the container to keep it from sliding off.

Persimmon lifted his head just high enough to see between his ears. "Ah only gots two hands, girl!"

Morgana lifted two small bags of dried fruit, "Well, so do I and you don't hear me complaining! Besides, you promised to help," she said smugly, turning away. She could hear him muttering dire threats of things to come when classes resumed as he followed her down the aisle.

Persimmon almost lost control of the stack as they approached the checkout line, the conversation between the two men in front of him causing his Faunas ears to perk upwards as the shorter of the two shook a finger at the taller.

"I tell you, sir, I am in agreement with Fenris in this. That woman has been wasting the city's money! Funding the academy is something that I can continue to vote for, although repairs have been much too slow for my taste. That little school of hers, though! Why are we spending so much money on only four students? I don't see any possible justification for it." The hand withdrew to shift a bottle to a more comfortable position. "Questions have been raised in certain parts of the council as to whether or not we should investigate how she spends the money we give her. Make no mistake, some of us do want to keep the city's finances under better control. A great deal of it cannot be accounted for and there have been rumors of purchases made under the counter by her aide. I know you are her staunchest supporter, Leonidas, but you may want to distance yourself until this blows over!"

The tall man glanced over his shoulder, wincing slightly as he spotted the youngsters obviously taking in every word. He turned back quickly as Morgana opened her mouth. "Councilor, I think this is neither the time nor the place for that topic. Yes, I do support the Professor's school plan and I do know that other students have applied now that word has spread. Rest assured that the future is not so bleak as some would paint it. As for the amount spent, you had the opportunity to go over the proposed finances before we voted last year."

"Yes, yes! What I hadn't realized was just how much we were going to be paying for their instructors. We could have funded another school in the city with what they cost!" Snatching the receipt from the cashier, he surged into motion towards the door. "I must be off. The good Major Snipe is holding a small reception tonight for a select few."

Morgana's mouth shut with an audible snap as Persimmon stepped in front of the furious girl. "Easy now, gal!" he cautioned, "Let's not be startin' no trouble fer the Perfesser!"

"He… called her a thief! I should…!" She glowered at the retreating backs.

"Oh fer gossakes gal! What'cha gonna do? Burn up any what don't agree with y'all?" He sighed with relief as his burden was deposited on the counter. "How can yew be so smart, and so dumb at the same time? Perfesser kin handle the likes'a that without yer help.

Morgana dug into her pouch for the money. "Yeah, I know. But I'm still gonna tell her what we heard. I don't trust that fat little snot!"

Oakley glanced towards the door, "Uhuh! An' it sounds lahk that there Leonidas fella don't trust him neither!"

* * *

A/N: Oh dear. Now there's trouble on the home front as well. Who can be trusted when rumor begins to fly?

Meanwhile Neo may find herself facing two very unhappy Huntresses in the near future and Renee is not willing to take prisoners. Teleportation may not be enough to escape the consequences.

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	17. Chapter 17

HART-TNG

Chapter 17

Fealty

Professor Goodwitch is given a gift she didn't expect, and one she's not sure she wants.

* * *

Gwinnith Boudicca ceased her pacing and smiled in anticipation as a broad shouldered man stomped down the gangway of the airship with his mouth downturned over the gray beard, the shoulder length hair waving in the Friday afternoon breeze. She waved to him, smiling wider as he strode her way followed by a shorter woman, finally stopping a few paces away with his hands planted firmly on his hips.

"So, daughter! This is the place ye've run away to!" A calloused hand waved at the buildings surrounding the landing pad. "Tis a grand city full of soft people, I see!" he said derisively.

Gwinnith ignored the sarcastic tone and hugged the slim woman next to the scowling man. "Hello Mum!" She tilted her head towards the grumpy man standing next to them. "Did yeh have to bring him along?"

Her mother looked affronted at the question. "Of course I did! Do yeh think me mad enough to come alone, leaving himself behind? Daft old man that he is he'd be fightin' half t' countryside by the time they closed the door behind me!" she said in an indignant voice.

Fists clenched, he glared at the two women. "Here now! Is that any way t'be speakin' aboot the head of yer clan then?"

With a wink at her mother, Gwinnith turned to face him. "Yes!" the two chorused.

The fists opened as the broad shoulders slumped in dejection. "Tis a sad day when a man's family turns agin' him." he said mournfully. He brightened again as his daughter's arms opened.

"Oh, come here then, ye great whiner! Give us a hug!"

After a moment he gently pushed away, holding her at arm's length as he searched her face. "Tell me truly, Gwin'. Are ye happy here?" he asked softly. A hand touched his cheek, gently stroking the coarse beard.

"Aye, Da'. I am, truly. New friends I've made, and found comrades worth fighting alongside. There's a great deal of learnin' Ah'm doing here."

A sharp clap startled the pair.

"Enough of this maudlin talk! Tis a meal that we need!" her mother told them sternly.

Gwinnith covered her mouth to hide the smile as her father rounded on his wife. "Give over, Moira! Do yeh not see Ah'm tryin' ta have a moment with our daughter? Yer belly can wait five minutes!"

Moira snorted at a wisp of curly red hair that the wind had shifted over her face, lifting her head until they were nose to nose. "Aed Boudicca! Ye've had twenty years a' speakin' with the lass! Tis no food Ah've had since morning, an' starving in front of yeh Ah stand! Yeh can speak over a table..." she waved a fist under his chin, "... or yeh can have a knuckle sandwich fer yer lunch!"

A hand against each chest pushed them apart as Gwinnith leaned into the space. "Mum... Da'! Tis both of yeh I love, but yer heads ah'll crackin' t'gether if there's not peace this instant!" Taking her mother's shoulders, she firmly turned her about and pointed towards a nearby diner. "We'll eat there." Releasing her grip, she reached back and took hold of Aed's beard, pulling him along behind like a recalcitrant horse. "Ah, Da! Tis just like bein' home, it is!" she quipped over her shoulder as he mumbled dire warning of things to come for this day's work.

* * *

"Phht!" Aed let the forkful of salad drop back onto the plate. "There be no end t' the indignities ye'll heap upon a puir man, the pair o' yeh!" He scowled at the women opposite who were looking at him with mild interest as they ate their own salads. "Is there nah meat t' be had in this place? Ah'm no cow t' be fed greenery!"

His wife gave him a sad look. "Leave off. Tis time yeh tell the lass," Moira said softly.

Aed returned her doleful look with one of his own, pushing the plate aside as she laid her fork down. Moira bowed her head to hide her face as he reached across the table, taking Gwinnith's hands in his. He shook his head at her attempt to say something. "Meat can wait a bit, lass. There's sad tiding's Ah've waited long enough ta' speak of."

She forced the last mouthful of salad down, her throat tightening at her father's tone. "Go on then, Da'. What's happened?"

Bowing his head, he pulled her hands until they touched his forehead. "Garnet's gone from us, along wi' her husband," he said mournfully. "Twas t' Grim that did't these two weeks past!"

The young woman's heart wrenched, tears springing from her eyes. "No! Nah bonny Garnet! Nah t' both of them!" Pulling her hands away, she covered her face and wept.

Moira laid an arm over the shaking shoulders. "Ah ken well t' hurt, lass. Twas her and ye bein' t' best of friends since ye' were babes!" Her head pressed against her daughter's, tears falling from her own eyes. "Tis a hard knock fer all t' clan, but t'is harder yet for yer ain heart, Ah know."

Aed waited patiently, hand folded in his lap, until the tears ended. Wordlessly, he handed a napkin to his daughter.

She dried her cheeks and gently blew her nose before looking up, eyes hardening. "Grim, yeh say? None have been seen in our lands since the killin' o' the Witch! She's daid for certain. Ah know one twas there when t'were done! Are ye' sure of it then?"

The open scroll he laid before her showed a thatched house under gray clouds. The front door lay askew in its frame, parallel grooves scarring the post of one side were matched on the other. At the far end of the roof a gaping hole had been torn through the fibrous covering, dried reeds scattered on the lawn. "Aye, twas the fell beasts work!" Closing the device, he tapped it on the table. "But t' worst is... young Jasper was no' there. Prints of boots we found, too large for the wee lad, yet smaller than his mum or da's. Tis a mystery that we've yet t' solve." His face grew thunderous. "They are not t' only ones, for both Lightning and Thunder have lost kith and kin o'er the last twa' months. I fear there're dark times ahead for t' Clans. I would not be here, but for yer own need to ken what's happened, daughter."

Gwinnith's face matched his as she crushed the napkin in a fist. "Why noo? When Ah canna come t' yeh wi 'out breaking mah oath t' serve the Professor!"

Her father leaned forward, "An' who is this 'Professor' ye'd be bound t' serve' then? " he demanded.

Gwinnith pulled her own scroll from its holder as she hurriedly rose from her seat. "She's a great leader of t' soldiers Ah serve wi'. She must be told o' these doin's in our hills, or be taken unawares! Come on. Ah'll ask her t' meet wi' us all."

Aed raised his hand to attract the waiter as the women rushed to the door. "What d'Ah owe yeh then?"

"Not a thing sir. We... umm... sort of overheard about what happened, and the management would like to extend its condolences for your loss." the young man said quietly, handing over an insulated bag. "And I thought you'd like to at least take a roast beef sandwich with you to tide you over."

Clutching the bag, Aed solemnly held out a hand. "Mah thanks t' all. Tis deeply appreciated."

* * *

Standing in the shadow of the Vale communication tower as his daughter made introductions, Aed took a close look at the blonde woman in front of him. Mind yer manners, he scolded himself. Tis a Huntress yer facin'! One that commands yer ain daughter's loyalty. Ye'll show respect, e'en though she has the look o' one whose nose is found buried in a book! His hand extended as Gwinnith finished. "Tis pleased Ah am t' be makin' yer acquaintance, Mu'um."

Gwinnith laid a hand on his arm as she looked past them towards an approaching Faunas woman. "A friend comes, Father. Would yeh tell Perfesser Goodwitch yer tale whilst Ah speak wi' Hart?"

He watched her walk away for a second before turning back to the Huntress. "Well then! Firstly, ye should know that holdin' the lass's oath means ye have a right t' know the Clan's business. An'..." the scroll was produced with its gloomy scene, "... this is what brings us t' yeh."

Moira stood quietly as her husband spoke, appraising the woman her daughter had spoken so highly of. The fine clothes aside, she glimpsed the steel behind those intelligent eyes. That she wore a tattered cloak like a badge of honor spoke volumes to the daughter of Clan Lightning. Nodding to herself, she came to a decision.

"And so we come seeking aid from Hunters here, our own having gone missing some months ago." As Aed finished, Moira tapped a knuckle on his arm.

"Husband. Tis true that dark clouds gather, and we've need o' one t' lead us 'gainst foulness." Laying a hand on his beard, she peered into his face. "Yer a grand Chieftain, Aed Boudicca, an' done well wi' the bickering o' the people. But this is some'at different. Ah see what mus' be! We need a Laird t'see us through dire times." She dipped her head respectfully to the Huntress. "Comes t' times, comes t' woman! Fate hersel' has led us here."

It took a moment for her words to register. Aed looked into her eyes, trusting that she spoke not only as the wife of a chieftain, but as the warrior he knew her to be. "Yer right, Moira. Yer wisdom may yet save us. What must be, will be!"

Standing with Gwinnith, Hart's interest peaked as the man dropped to one knee, the woman beside him joining him a heartbeat later, their heads bowed to the Professor. The hand on her arm clenched, tightening to the point of pain.

"Crivens! It canna be!" Gwinnith gasped.

Hart pulled at the fingers, gently prying them apart. "What? What 'canna' it be?" she asked, mystified by her friend's reaction.

The soldier turned slowly, her face incredulous. "D'ye no see? He's nivver bent the knee t' anyone! Not even in defeat would he do such a thing! In all t'history of the t'clans there's but one thing a Chieftain will kneel for." Her hand spasmed open, releasing her friend as realization dawned. "Truth! T'is an Oath he'll be givin'. I must join them this instant!"

Hart massaged the aching limb as the young woman ran over to kneel next to her father, head bowed like the others. The Faunas' eyes widened as she finally understood what was occurring. Goodwitch has no idea what to do, she thought to herself. Ignoring the pins and needles feeling of returning circulation, she dashed to the older woman's side.

"Miss D'Ore, do you have any idea of what's going on here?" Glynda asked out of the corner of her mouth, perplexed by the actions of the three people in front of her.

"Ma'am, I'll have to explain later, but apparently you're about to receive an honor that's rarely given. I think it's best if you just accept it without question, or risk angering them and their clan." Hart explained quietly.

"Perfesser Goodwitch! Ye' be oath bound as leader t' our daughter, who stands next in line to be Chieftain o' the clans Lightning an' Thunder..." the old man intoned, placing a hand on Gwinnith's shoulder without looking up, "... an' tis my right as t' head of t' Twa Clans t' be givin' our Fealty t' yeh, t'be O'erlaird o' our Clans in time o' strife. Our strength is yours t' do with as yeh will, mah oath upon it!" As his eyes rose to settle on Glynda's face, his right hand extended towards her.

"Take him by the forearm and pull him up." Hart instructed in a whisper. When she'd done so, Hart continued. "Now place your left hand on his shoulder and thank him for his support."

Glynda spoke the words, thanking him for his oath but feeling like she was missing something important here. His free hand clapped her on the shoulder, nearly knocking her over.

"That's settled, then!" he announced jovially, turning towards a nearby pub. "Let's have a drink t' celebrate a joinin' o' Clans!"

Glynda stood with her empty hand outstretched, glasses askew and a dazed look on her face as he bulldozed through the doors, Moira following close behind. She blinked once, eyes tracking to the right as the two younger women stepped up next to her. "What just happened?"

Gwinnith took her commander's elbow, gently urging her forward as they followed in his wake. "Congratulations, Mu'um. Ye'll be pleased to know that ye've now become the sworn Overlaird of Clans Lightning and Thunder, a thing which has na' happened in hundreds of years!" she said, smiling at the thought. "Tis a bit like being a Queen now, just so y'know."

Hart caught the older woman's shoulder as she froze in midstride, the Corporal's hand nearly pulling the surprised blonde off balance as the import of the old man's act sank in. "A what?! I can't be a Queen! I've got no time for that sort of thing!" She pointed a shaking finger at the gently swinging doors, "Corporal! You go in there and tell him I'm not doing it!"

Gwinnith gently, but firmly, pushed the outstretched arm down again. "Mu'um, wi' respect, Ah canna do that." She held her own hands up, palms out as her commander turned on her, eyes blazing. "Please, Mu'um! Hear me out before doin' anythin' rash!" she pleaded.

Glynda took one step back in an effort to calm herself, crossing her arms to keep from strangling the younger woman. "Very well then, 'Corporal for the moment' Boudicca. Explain!"

Gwinnith hoped neither woman could hear her knees knocking together in response to the tone that promised dire consequences for the wrong answer. "Perfesser... Mu'um... ye've accepted his oath, and in doin' so made t' same to him. Both to aid t' other in time of need. Tis no different as when ye took my own oath t' defend Vale. If ye' tell him 'No' now, then t'will mean cruel war 'tween the twa of ye'. In his anger, he'd raise the Clans an' attack the city, it bein' his ancient right t' do such. The hillfolk would rise as they have in t' past and follow as their ain oaths require." She couldn't help herself when she dropped her gaze, no longer able to look at the woman. "Ye'd be known as 'Oathbreaker'. As such, I would no' be able t' follow ye any longer. An' t'would mean leavin' t' city that's become a home t' me, as I canna turn mah hand against mah ain kin," she said miserably. She stiffened slightly as Hart laid a comforting arm across her shoulders.

"Professor, she's right," the Faunas said. "And if you break this oath, by my own code I won't be able to help you either. I'm afraid you're stuck with it." An idea struck her. "Think of it as gaining allies that don't require much looking after."

The fire left Glynda's eyes as she seemed to deflate, shoulders drooping as her clenched fists pressed against her temples. "Aaaaahhh! I am stuck, aren't I?" she wailed quietly. Finally taking hold of herself, she angrily jabbed her riding crop into Boudicca's chest. "Well then, if I'm stuck then so are you, Corporal! I'm appointing you to be my liaison to these clans of yours!" She repeated the motion, hard enough to rock the younger woman back on her heels. "And Monday morning you will report to my office where we're going to 'discuss' this situation!"

Gwinnith straightened, standing at attention. "Aye, Mu'um! But first, t'would be best t' be joining wi' Father. He'll be wantin' t' share a drink or three with yeh."

Glynda hastened to the door. "A drink is what I need right now!"

Hart snorted laughter, turning to her companion. "A drink or three?" She staggered as Boudicca's hand clapped her on the shoulder.

"Aye! Though he has been known t' keep the bottle for himself a time or two, I'm thinkin'." She tugged at Hart's arm, "Come along then! He'll be wantin' t' ken what sort a' company his daughter's been keepin' as well," she added cheerfully.

"Hang on!" Hart yelped as she was yanked forward, "You can't expect me to match him drink for drink?"

Gwinnith paused at the door. "Nah as such, no," she conceded, grinning at the Faunas' confused face, "But we canna have him thinkin' that his only daughter associates wi' weaklings now, can we? Ah'd hear no end of it!" Pushing the door open, she shoved Hart inside. "Let's be aboot it then!"

* * *

Autumn had been ecstatic when her mother has said she could spend the night with Morgana, but sitting on the floor of Professor Goodwitch's living room, she was beginning to have second thoughts. Tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth, she mashed buttons on the controller, desperately fending off her friend's attack. She groaned as her character's health bar disappeared. "Aw, man!"

Morgana chuckled at the younger girl's complaint as she set her own controller aside to dig into a bowl of chips. "You'll have to do better than that to beat me!" The two girls jumped to their feet as the front door banged open.

In the doorway stood Boudicca, swaying gently as she hefted Glynda's body into a more comfortable position on her shoulder. "Bless this house!" she shouted before stomping across the room to drop her burden unceremoniously on the couch. Catching herself on the back, she pushed upright and rocked back on her heels, head cocked to one side. "Home safe and sound, then!" she announced to the room.

The girls shrank back as she whirled, almost toppling over on them. "And goo' evenin' t' the pair of ye'!" she slurred. "Lessee noo!" A finger waved about for a moment before pointing at a spot about six inches to the left of Morgana's ear. "D'ye ken the makin' o' the mornin' mud, lass?" She peered owlishly along the length of her finger before turning it slightly to line up on the perplexed girl's face.

Morgana's eyes crossed as she stared in confusion at the fingertip. "Ken?" Autumn, recognizing the last of the odd words, shuffled sideways to whisper in her ear, "I think she wants to know if you can make coffee for the Professor in the morning."

Morgana nodded timidly to the woman who was tilting slightly to the right at the moment. "Yes, I can make coffee. What happened to her?"

Gwinnith straightened, a huge smile on her face. "Tha's gran' then!" The finger rose until it bounced off her lips as she made 'shushing' noises. "Don' make a racket!" she warned in a loud whisper, "she's most likely t' be a bit..." the words trailed off for a moment, the hand making whirling motions, "... thing... wassit..." The finger shot forward again, making the girls jump backwards in surprise, "...tender o' hearin'!" she shouted triumphantly. Waving a hand in front of her face made her stagger slightly. "Dinna fash ye' selves. Yon Professor's had a dram o' the ouisghey." She smirked to herself, "Weelll... mayhap a bit more'n a dram."

Autumn's elbow gently tapped her confused friend's side. "They're both drunk!" she said in an accusing whisper.

Gwinnith face contorted, finally settling into a look of confusion as she stared at the girls. "Hang on a minnit! Ah'm seein' thin's! Why's there twa of yeh? T'was only one bottle!" Tapping a finger against her chin, she appeared to be thinking hard. "Or mebbe t'was more?" Hands caught her shoulders as she toppled forward. A furry ear tickled her nose as the girls labored to right her again. "Ach! It's Miss Autumn… um... um!" she crowed. Vertical again, she gripped the Faunas girl's shoulder to keep herself straight, a quizzical look on her face. "What're yeh doin' here?" Her voice turned ominous, "T'ere's dark business brewin'! What wi' children bein' taken an' all! Tis mah duty t' see yeh home safe!" A burp punctuated the statement as she tugged the girl towards the open doorway.

Morgana stood in the middle of the room, wringing her hands. "Miss Boudicca? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Gwinnith's braying laughter made Autumn's ears lay flat. "Dinna fash' y'self, dearie! Ah'll ha' her home in a flash!"

* * *

Renee's groping hand finally landed on the scroll she'd set on the bedside table. Blinking to clear her eyes, she pressed the accept button. "Hello?" She listened for a moment, then bolted upright in the bed. "WHAT?" Her clenched fist thumped the sleeping form next to her, jolting Gundar awake mid-dream as she leapt from the bed to the closet. "Alright honey, we'll be there as quick as we can. Just stay calm, okay?"

Gundar rubbed his eyes, "Wha's goin' on?" He barely managed to catch the uniform pants that she threw at him.

"Autumn just called," she growled ferociously, stuffing a leg into her own pants. "She's at the Vale police station! Hurry up and get dressed!" Gripping the waistband tightly, she rammed the other leg down. "When I get my hands on Boudicca...!"

Gundar ducked as the uniform shirt flew over his head.

* * *

Gwinnith gazed longingly at the empty coffee pot across the room as she stood outside the Colonel's office, bloodshot eyes slitted against the Saturday morning sunlight streaming through the windows. She flinched backwards as the door opened, wishing she could somehow avoid Captain Falken's accusing look as he skirted past her like a man trying to avoid touching a leper.

"BOUDICCA!"

Her eyes closed, hands reaching for her temples as Colonel Harper's bellow seemed to shatter her forehead.

"GET IN HERE!"

"Coming Sir!" she squeaked, sliding past the door and attempting to close it as gently as she could. The delicate 'click' of the bolt sliding home made her wince. Turning to the desk, she saluted as well as she could.

Harper grimaced at her disheveled appearance. "You look like the third day of a two day drunk!" Ignoring her response of 'T'was only one night, sir!", he pointed at the chair in front of her. "Sit down, Corporal."

(Could be worse, yer still a Corporal...at t' moment.)

Easing down into the seat, she shrank into herself as he stared at her.

Harper laid a hand on the small pile of paper on the desk. "Do you know what these are, Corporal?" he asked softly.

(Oh no! Tis the soft voice he'll be usin'! Yer a daid woman!)

"No, Sir," she answered meekly.

The first sheet was lifted between thumb and finger. "This... is Captain Falken's report of last night when he was called to retrieve you from a holding cell at the Vale Police Department." Carefully setting it aside, he lifted the second. "This one is the statement from Miss Delacourt, describing what happened to her while in your dubious care." He set it gently on top of the first. "This…" his finger tapped the last sheet,"... is the police report detailing your rather... interesting and exciting no doubt, activities until they finally stopped you." His lips lifted in an evil smile as his eyebrows rose. "My, my! What a busy time it must have been, Corporal. Speeding through the city in the dead of night. Driving while under the influence of alcohol. Resisting arrest, with the addition of assault on an officer!"

"He was tryin' ta hold mah hand, Sair!" she offered in her own defense.

Harper frowned. "He was trying to handcuff you, Corporal! At least until you gave him the black eye!" Folding his hands on top of the report, he gazed benignly into her contrite face. "These do not include the call I had from Professor Goodwitch earlier today, who you'll be pleased to know will eventually recover from her time in the company of your parents. What she told me, at least as far as she was capable of, is that we are now allied with the Clans your father represents. Would you care to explain that in a little more detail?" He listened carefully as she stammered her way through a recounting of the previous afternoon and evening. When she finished, he sat back and sighed. One eyebrow lifted in amusement. "Cruel war, eh?"

Boudicca's head gingerly bobbed assent. "Aye, Sair. Exactly so."

Taking a moment to tidy the papers allowed him time to control his features. "Well, we can't have that, can we? However... we also can't have our enlisted personnel assaulting civilian authorities. Therefore..." The papers were shoved to one side, clearing a space for him to set his hands flat on the table top, "... your pay will be stopped for a period of thirty days, the funds will be used to reimburse the city for fines, damages, and court costs. You will also be restricted to the base during that period, leaving the area only under my direct orders. Upon leaving this meeting you will go immediately to your desk in the office and write a formal apology to the Vale police department, which I will review before you send it. While you are doing that, I will undertake to secure Renee Delacourt's promise not to, I believe her exact words were 'rip your head off', which by the way is something she is most certainly capable of doing, before you apologize in person to her daughter." He shook his head mournfully, "Understand that your little escapade also cost Autumn's parents the only night they've had alone together in the last thirteen years!" He took a moment to let that sink in before continuing. "Following that, you will be apologizing to Miss LeFay and Professor Goodwitch for barging into their home while inebriated." He paused for a moment, giving her time to absorb all that he'd said. Opening the top drawer of the desk, he produced a bottle of pain killers and slid them across the gleaming surface. "I am not a cruel man, Corporal. But..." his voice dropped lower, "... if you ever do anything like this again, I will have a stockade built just so I can bury you under it! Clear?"

The bottle rattling slightly in her hand, Gwinnith gave him a grateful look. "Clear, Sir! Verra clear! T'will no' happen again, mah word onnit!"

Harper's lips lifted in the tiniest of smiles. "Off you go then, Corporal. You have a busy day ahead of you." The light tone seemed lost on the quaking woman.

Her attempt to salute while holding the bottle was almost his undoing. Lips trembling, he solemnly returned her salute, waiting until the door had closed behind her before thrusting his mouth into the crook of his elbow in a desperate attempt to muffle the uncontrollable laughter. When he'd managed to compose himself, he extracted his scroll from the same drawer. He paused, finger poised to dial. Perhaps there is a safer way to do this, he thought. There was one person involved who would most likely not kill the Corporal without an order from higher authority.

"Good morning, Ma'am, Colonel Harper here. Could you ask your husband to stop by my office as soon as possible?" He quickly held the device away from his ear, teeth clenched at the tirade that followed. As the volume dropped, he returned it to the former position. "Yes Ma'am... yes, Ma'am. It's already been taken care of, Ma'am, and may I say that I am truly sorry for what happened. I can assure you that it will not happen again." He paused again, waiting for her to finish expressing her displeasure. "Yes Ma'am. I look forward to seeing Gundar soon. Thank you... Goodbye!" Replacing the scroll, he gently slid the drawer shut and blew out a huge gust.

Knowing what the displeased mother was capable of, it was going to take some very persuasive talking by Gundar and himself to keep Renee from following through with her threat.

* * *

A/N:

Ding dong! The witch is dead... you did check for a pulse, didn't you?

But then, if it's not Salem...?

Gangs laying traps for the troopers, Grim appearing in the hills again, children disappearing... dark times ahead indeed! Something wicked this way comes.

Or is it here already?

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	18. Chapter 18

HART-TNG

Chapter 18

Darkness rising

* * *

The furniture in the apartment had been pushed back against the wall, leaving room for the contest in progress. "…ninety eight …ninety nine …one hundred!" Tuppence announced, smiling down at the sweating Faunus girl as Autumn pumped out her last pushup. "Looks like you still have the record, Squirt." She looked over at the boy prostrated next to her, his ears limp as he gasped for breath, "Seventy five in two minutes just won't cut it, Oakley."

"Leastways ah's try'n, unlike y'all!" he muttered, struggling up to his knees. Tuppence silently agreed with him, knowing that with her mechanical muscles she could easily outclass any of them at this game. Hiding her differences from the others was a hardship she'd had to deal with under her agreement with Goodwitch and Harper. She hoped that someday that agreement could change.

"It's pronounced 'try…ing' Morgana scolded him as she dropped a towel on his head before handing a second one to Autumn. "I know you can say it correctly. You've just got to keep practicing!"

"Ter… eye…ing! Is you happy now?" he grumped before scrubbing the sweat off his face.

"Are! Not is!" Tuppence murmured, holding out two bottles of water.

"School's out fer 'nuther week, Miz Calvin! But thankee fer the water anyhoo," he returned airily.

"Did he just say 'anyhoo'?" Morgana asked the ceiling. She shook a finger in his direction, ignoring Autumn's laughter, "You are going to learn to speak properly, Mister Oakley, if it's the last thing I do!"

"Uh huh! Prolly be the end 'o both of us!" the boy retorted, one long ear dipping in her direction. He shook the bottle at Tuppence, "An' stop callin' her Squirt! Gonna hurt her delly-cat feelin's doin' that!"

Tuppence grinned, watching the shorter girl's biceps bulge as she mopped her face. Delicate was not a word she would have used to describe Renee Delacourt's daughter. Cute? Yes, the munchkin qualified for that, but she was also about as delicate as a steel I-beam! The teen android had needed some repairs to the metal in her left shoulder joint after their last sparring bout had seen her thrown against a boulder by the young Faunus. She'd taken Isaac's tart advice to heart about her lack of invulnerability where her classmates were concerned. Autumn and Persimmon had both added muscle over the last year thanks to the exercise program that Akiko required of them, making Morgana the only safe bet when it came to sparring in Yang's class. All bets were off when they were doing the same in Hart's class, though. The training field bore many gouges and scorch marks from the magic user's attacks that left the others scampering in fear. No amount of muscle was going to stop lightning or a stream of fire when she was feeling unappreciated by her current opponent! That she couldn't keep the magic going for more than a few minutes at a time was a saving grace. One that would disappear as soon as she developed more stamina.

Tuppence took a moment to review some of the memories she retained from Penny as her classmates continued their verbal combat. The orange haired android's own training and sparring bouts had all been under very controlled circumstances, and then only with trained Huntresses and Hunters from Atlas. Even the events leading up to the Fall had mostly been the same, with the exception of the fight with her new friend Ruby against the White Fang and that victory was more likely due to the ineptitude of the Fang members than to the android's prowess.

Even now she and her three friends had less training than the gang members, which made them even more dangerously unpredictable. Tuppence had taken note of how the teachers grew more wary whenever the students had weapons in their hands, even the easygoing Yang seeming ready to dodge at the first indication of incipient mayhem. The android did note that Hart's fencing style had achieved the final bit of polish from working with the children. A challenge from a visiting Hunter acquaintance had resulted in the Faunas woman holding an impromptu lecture on defensive variations to his particular weapon while simultaneously deflecting every attack the blue-haired man had made without ever stepping away from her starting point. At the end of the match he'd simply walked away with his head sunk between his shoulders, oblivious to her shouted apologies.

The children had been duly impressed.

Tuppence was jerked out of her reverie as Autumn's words reached her.

"… and Yang's sister, Ruby Rose, has a rose as her personal design. It's like Uncle Tan growing up on a farm and having wheat sheaves for his. I'm telling you, that stuff on her cloak means something!" The Faunas girl tilted the book in her lap towards Morgana while pointing at one page. "Look! That's the flag of the last King of Vale during the big war."

Morgana looked less than convinced. "Yeah? So what?"

Autumn stabbed a finger onto the page, "Ten stars, one for each of the major cities in the kingdom and there's ten diamonds on her cloak!" The finger stabbed again, "And what about the crown? It's exactly the same!"

Morgana sniffed dismissively, "So she used the same design, it's not like she's going to be sued for plagiarism! The royal family died out long, long ago. You're making a big deal out of nothing more than a little girl's imagination!"

Tuppence nudged Persimmon as the argument escalated into window shaking volume. "What's all this about?"

The boy snickered in reply. "Miz Aw-tum found that there book in her ma's library. She saw some ol' flag and done got the ideer that Miz Glynda be a queen'r some such nonsense."

Tuppence raised a finger, "Hold that thought for a moment." Taking two long steps across the room she snatched the raised book out of Autumn's hand "Enough!" The two girls cowered under her angry glare, "You start breaking furniture and Uncle Isaac will shoot the pair of you… and I'll load his rifle for him!" Tossing the book on a chair as the two mumbled apologies, she shook a finger at the pair. "I don't know about you two, but I certainly am not going to do anything to antagonize the Headmistress of the school I hope to attend!"

Autumn looked stricken as she contemplated the possibility. "I didn't think of that," she admitted.

"And…" Tuppence continued as Morgana opened her mouth, "… even if you are right, then you should respect her enough to keep it to yourself!" Morgana's mouth snapped shut as she glanced toward the book. Tuppence could almost see her considering the chances that her mentor was more than she appeared. "So now that that's settled, who's up for ice cream?"

Three hands shot into the air as the need for calories overcame youthful curiosity.

* * *

"Just simple adjustment was all it took, Captain," the man in the coveralls said, recovering the clipboard with its paperwork. "Shouldn't be any problems now."

"I should hope not!" the VSDF officer replied, barely hiding the disdain in his voice. "The Major was most upset when he found the wine at the wrong temperature again."

The repairman tipped his hat respectfully, "Not after this, he won't be. Good day, sir."

His partner started the engine of the van as the repairman clambered into the passenger seat. "It's people like that who make these jobs worthwhile, y'know?" Pulling his pen out of the clipboard, he removed the top and depressed the button hidden underneath.

The driver grinned mirthlessly as he pulled away from the curb. "Not one that I'll cry over, that's for sure." He glanced at the speedometer, staying just below the posted limit. It wouldn't do to be pulled over before the end of the mission.

In the darkened basement of the recently built Vale Self Defense Force Officer's Mess a dim red light suddenly appeared on the side of a newly attached box. No one would see it unless they had business with the building's supply of power Dust.

* * *

The cars on the screen careened wildly around the obstacles on the track, occasionally bashing into each other as they vied for supremacy. Persimmon and Morgana hunched over their controllers, oblivious to anything outside their digital contest as Autumn simultaneously cheered and chided the two.

Behind the trio, Tuppence gathered up the remains of the snacks as she considered her own circumstances. Her 'Uncle' Isaac, the man responsible for her creation, had placed few restrictions on her in the last year. Most of them dealt with her schooling, not something she was terribly worried about for the most part, but some of them rankled the android teen. Why should she have to fake an appreciation for any of the music her classmates liked? While it helped her blend in, she still couldn't find it in her to actually want to listen to any of it when she was alone. And having to report any contact with strangers, especially teenage boys! She absolutely couldn't see the need for that one until she overheard Autumn complaining that her father demanded the same thing. Apparently father figures needed reassuring that their daughters were safe from anything untoward. Besides, even if the girls got attention from boys in the city, it wasn't like anything was going to come of it in her case. She suppressed a giggle, imagining the surprise that particular discovery would bring in an amorous young male.

Setting the stack of dishes on the kitchen counter, she marveled again at the differences between Penny and herself. Despite the restrictions on her, Tuppence still had a degree of freedom that Penny would have given almost anything to have. The ability to come and go as she pleased, and even invite friends into her home was something that simply wasn't possible under the regimen imposed by the Atlas military and their scientists. Of the three people who knew her true identity, only Harper would prefer to treat her as a thing rather than a person. She now understood why, and did her best to avoid him for both of their sakes. Why Isaac trusted her was understandable, being her creator so to speak, but why Glynda was willing to extend the same trust was a million lien question. Tuppence spent a moment processing the available data again, something she'd done many times over the last year, but the answer still eluded her.

Autumn standing in front of her, a look of concern on her face as her lips moved silently, intruded on Tuppence's awareness.

"…okay, Tup?"

Tuppence jerked backwards slightly, suddenly realizing that she hadn't even noticed her friend's approach. How long had she been frozen in place while pondering her circumstances? Long enough to attract the wrong kind of attention, obviously! Now she had to explain herself, but what kind of excuse would the inquisitive girl accept without question? One hand brushed a lock of hair back over an ear in a programmed mannerism. She clutched at the hair and dragged it in front of her face as inspiration bloomed. "Just… ah… thinking about doing something with my hair! Maybe cut it or add some color, you know? What do you think?"

Autumn looked doubtful of the idea as she contemplated the lustrous black hair, so different from her own roan red tresses tied up in the usual ponytail. "I don't know. I mean, it looks fine to me," she managed after a moment, distressed by a sudden feeling of inadequacy. "I'm probably not the best person to ask for that kind of advice."

Sensing a way out of inevitable defeat, Morgana dropped her controller and rushed to join the two girls. "Cut it? No! It's the perfect length for you." Turning the taller girl around , she began combing her fingers through the fine hair, ignoring the outraged cries of her erstwhile opponent. Grateful for the reprieve, Autumn flung herself at the abandoned controller as Morgana began to advise a doubtful Tuppence.

Settling herself against the front of the sofa, she elbowed the disgruntled boy. "C'mon, Pers'. Forget them and race me!"

Taking up his own controller again, he glanced over his shoulder one last time. "Awright. Ah'm just doubtful 'bout Morg's fashion sense. Tup'll end up looking like clown if she ain't careful." He nudged the girl back, "Y'all hear anythin' from your ma yet?"

Autumn's face lit up. "Uh huh! They came across some Grim yesterday while following up on a lead! She said it was easier than she remembered." A wistful look came over her face, "I can't wait to get a chance to kill some Grim!" The controller swung back and forth, "Wham! Bam! Like that!"

Persimmon tapped the button to start the race. "Ah think ah kin wait a little longer till we get trained up."

* * *

"Why do I always end up with the crap jobs?" Staff Sergeant 'Saint' Bernard grumbled to the shorter man as they walked across the quadrangle.

McCoy glanced up and smirked in delight at the sullen face. "Well, genius, let's see now." He held up three fingers, "Firstly, you're still part of the unit." One finger was tucked down as he continued, "Secondly, there aren't any radios that need fixing today." He smiled broadly at the remaining finger, "And mostly because you've once again managed to gain first place on the Colonel's shit list. I hear he plans to stop writing it in and just have it printed there permanently."

Bernard, hands shoved deep into his pockets, scowled at the ground, "It was a misunderstanding, I tell ya! He's blowing it all out of proportion!" He froze in midstride as two figures stepped through the door of the Armory ahead of them. "Uh, McCoy? D'you just leave the door unlocked when you go out?"

McCoy dragged him up against the wall, waving a hand for silence. "No, I don't!" He hissed, peering around the bigger man. "Those are SDF uniforms. What are they doing here?" he asked as the strangers got into a nearby van and drove off. "We'll never catch them now! Let's check and see if anything's missing before we report this."

Warily stepping through the doorway, the two soldiers split up and began searching through the cavernous building. Racks of weapons gleamed softly under the overhead lights, crates of ammunition lining the interior forming head high corridors throughout.

Bernard noticed a stack of smaller boxes along the back wall that seemed out of place. A blinking light between this stack and the next caught his attention. Pulling them aside he peered into the darkness.

McCoy was dropping the lid on a bin of parts when Bernard stumbled past him, walking backwards. Catching the man's shoulder, he gave him a rough shake. "Dude! Quit screwing around and finish your own side!"

Bernard continued staring towards the far wall. "McCoy? Why is that crate's clock running backwards?"

* * *

Behind the hastily built wall of sandbags in the middle of the street, McCoy started breathing again when Sergeant Roz exited the building. As the only surviving member of the Ordinance Disposal team brought to Vale before The Fall, he'd been the logical choice for this task. As this was also 'his' Armory, McCoy had been the other half of this impromptu Bomb Squad. Bernard had been dispatched to clear the area and find Roz before reporting to the higher ups.

When 'Lucky' Roz had shown up dressed in nothing more than shorts and a T-shirt with a satchel full of tools McCoy had wondered aloud about the lack of protection, and possibly his sanity.

"Mac! You got a device sitting in the middle of a ton of things that go bang. Just how much use is dressing up in heavy armor gonna do me?" Roz asked. Pulling a toothpick from behind his ear, he winked at the taller man. "Just go hide behind something already. I'll let you know when I'm done here." Running a hand through spiky blonde hair, he headed to the building.

The bravado had obviously worn off sometime in the last two hours. Roz spat the ragged remains of the toothpick out as he approached. Dragging a hand across his damp forehead, he gave a thumb's up with the other.

Mac's helmet speakers crackled into life, Colonel Harper's voice filling his ears with a demand to know what was going on.

"We're good here, Sir. Roz disarmed it without a problem." He listened for a moment, nodding his head. "Yes Sir! I'll let him know. We'll head over in a moment." Lifting the helmet off, he took a moment to wipe his own brow. "Colonel wants to see us, Roz. Said to tell you you're getting a commendation, and he's damned glad it's not posthumous!"

"Great! He didn't mention a raise, did he?"

McCoy stared for a moment, then began to laugh in relief. "No, but I'll throw in a couple of drinks tonight. You earned 'em."

"Right now I'd settle for a latrine. I drank a liter of lemonade before you called, and it's been wanting out for the last half hour!"

* * *

Harper watched as his aide read through the report, the hand holding the tablet beginning to shake as she reached the last part.

"A Number 6 he calls it! How many of the dreadful things has the puir man seen to put numbers to them?" she gasped, "Hidden triggers? Twa? What kind of monster would build such a thing?"

"The White Fang, before they were disbanded," Harper answered gruffly, "I lost a few boys to them. Roz has been disarming the damned things since he joined. That man is insanely brave. Either that or he's just insane!"

Gwinnith set the tablet down with exaggerated care. "As he's one o' ours, we'd best stick with t' former, beggin' your pardon Sair." Her voice softened as she flicked the screen off. "And what o' the SDF, Sair? I canna understand it. Why would they do such?"

Her boss arched an eyebrow at her. "Who says they did? I want you to contact those two detectives. See if they've heard of any missing SDF troops, or anyone selling uniforms."

"And if the pair o' them have heard such?"

Harper's upper lip rose until she could see his teeth. "Then we go hunting!"

"And t' good Professor?"

His eyes met hers. "Sometimes it is better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission."

Her head dipped in acknowledgement, "Aye Sair. So t'is!"

* * *

A/N:

I know… I know! It's been too long since I posted anything. (Sigh) Although I was interested to see a 'Leviathan' appear in the latest chapter of RWBY. For those of you who have read Team HART, you may recall I created one of my own. Albeit mine did not resemble Godzilla yet they both fulfill the role of an apparently unbeatable monster.

As you can see, things are happening in Vale that will soon spread beyond. If you are thinking the feces is about to impact the impeller… well, it ain't gonna be pretty. Fair warning.

As always, I don't own any rights to characters from the anime RWBY, only those characters and scenes that I have created or will create. And trust me, you're going to be meeting a few more down the road. I'm going to need a thicker binder for the notes.

Take care, and as always… Keep writing!

Vindictious


	19. Chapter 19

HART-TNG

Chapter 19

The ancient enemy has come again to the hills, threatening clans Lightning and Thunder. Without support from Hunter or Huntress, the hillmen must do what they have always done. A call to arms means some must go to war leaving loved ones behind. As the newest ally, the Ninety-Fifth is no exception…

Those left behind find themselves facing their own challenges.

* * *

Aed Boudicca, warrior and Chieftain of the combined clans that had held the northern lands of the Kingdom of Vale against all enemies for the last five hundred years, was spending the evening in his study engrossed in a book of poems. In his youth he'd visited many cities and towns in the four kingdoms, meeting their inhabitants and learning all the things that his own father had said was necessary for a leader to know. In his travels he'd also discovered that few of those city dwellers would look further than the scruffy beard and stout frame, choosing to believe that the young man was simply another uncultured barbarian from the hills. But there were a small number found the wit to see the intelligence in those green eyes, or to feel the passion that drove him to succeed. Those that could often found themselves in possession of trade agreements that provided large profits, while the rest found themselves wishing that they had access to the natural resources that the hills held. The foolish few who had attempted to bully his people into giving up their lands found themselves in dire straits, losing not only profit but also men and machines to the combined anger of the hillmen. The Great War had proven a bad time for the Army of Mantle when they'd come to invade, their armored knights unable to come to grips with the guerillas in the misty valleys. Even the largest Dust refinery on Remnant had been forced to make a wide detour around the glens, since holes in their aircraft from sharpshooters who objected to aerial trespassers were expensive to repair. A dozen years ago the SDC had finally been able to come to an agreement with him, ending fifty years of dispute and shortening their routes by a substantial amount which saved a great deal of transport cost.

His own demands meant half of those savings were now filling the coffers of the clans. Still, the woman who ran the company hadn't argued when it came to signing the papers that made peace possible. His own wife, the fiery redheaded Moira, had been ecstatic to meet one of the heroines who'd made the world a safer place. She'd even demanded a photo to commemorate the event, setting it in a prominent place in her own office.

"Axes flash and broadswords swing

Shining armour's piercing ring…"

The poem had once been set to music. Even now the tune that filtered through his mind evoked memories of late night revelries with friends. His right hand rose to stroke the graying hairs on his chin, but paused midway as the door burst open.

"Ware, Husband!" Moira strode angrily into the room, followed by a young man. "T'is a warning from the North that comes. The black'n white bastards ha' come to our hills again!" She thrust the youngster forward, "Speak Collum!"

Their youngest son gulped and bobbed his head respectfully, "Tis true, Father. Word from t' north is that a largish force o' Grimm gather. Mayhap trey hundred or maire. Too many for t' Northmen's ane folk t' hold fast a'gin. They beg aid. Their women and children do run south to safer lands whilst the warriors, few though they be, do gather at Dunn Trodden. Uncle Connery said the monstrous beasts seem to have sprung up on the coast, the fishermen claiming t'was the doing of a great black ship."

Aed nodded, thankful that things were being done to safeguard the noncombatants. "Moira. See to the folk that come our way. They'll need food and places of rest as can be found for them." He placed a hand on Collum's shoulder. "Send word for all villages an' farms; t' Clans will rise! All fit t' fight will gather at Dunn Trodden! Tell yer sister of our plight as well, for all are needed in t' coming battle."

The boy nodded, "T'will be done, Sair!"

As the two went about their duties, Aed picked up his book once more. A thick finger traced the last line of the refrain.

"How many of them can we make die!"

Closing the book with a snap, he set it back on the shelf. "Every last one! Mah oath upon it!" he growled, hastening away to make his own preparations.

* * *

Morgana paused, one hand on the door handle as she tried to decide how to handle her predicament.

After all, she thought, I'm only three hours late for the last night we'll have together until she returns from Argus. How upset could she be? With Mom out of town she'll be dropping me off at Miss D'Ore's place in the morning anyway.

She carefully opened the door just enough to admit her head, risking a quick peek into the hallway. To her relief no scowling blonde awaited her in the hallway.

There was, however, a cat.

Ed's dish sized paw thumped the side of her head hard enough to hurt, accompanied by a growl that was more frustration than threat. Honor satisfied, he turned his back on the startled girl and padded silently down the dim hall to the living room. Rubbing her throbbing head, she closed the door and followed behind after depositing her shoes on the rack.

A single lamp glowed above the writing desk where Glynda's head rested on folded arms. The narrow glasses laying near her lips misted and then cleared in time with the gentle snores.

Morgana tiptoed across the wood floor, trying not to trip over the cat weaving a serpentine pattern in front of her legs. Pausing beside the desk, she bent to retrieve a fallen book. The blank cover puzzled her for a moment until she opened it.

Tiny precise writing filled the pages completely, side to side and top to bottom, only a small space allocated in one corner for a date. The first page had been written more than two decades ago. Morgana's mouth opened in an 'O' of surprise as she read the first sentences.

Oh gods! It's her diary!

She froze in panic as the snores ceased abruptly, hands clenched on the pages. The gentle sound started again a few heartbeats later, followed by the resumption of Morgana's breathing. Her eyes scanned the writing on the page again, internally debating the wisdom of what she really wanted to do. Adolescent curiosity finally won and she turned pages until she came to a date that she recognized.

Green eyes glowing in the darkness of the couch, Ed watched the girl's face, feline lips curled in a knowing grin. The grin widened as the girl abruptly stopped reading, laying the book gently down next to the glasses and speeding quietly down the other hall to her bedroom as fast as socks on polished floors would allow.

Ed yawned mightily and stretched before curling up again. Had he not been so sleepy he would have devoted some time to tormenting the girl further. Closing his eyes, he let sleep take him into dreams of future delights.

In the darkened bedroom Morgana huddled under the sheets, frantically whispering her new mantra:

"Never telling anyone! Never, ever telling anyone!"

Damn you Autumn! Why'd you have to show me that book!

* * *

Harper's head snapped up at the sharp knock on his doorframe, setting aside the morning report. Seeing his aide standing there, he beckoned her into the office. "Is something wrong, Corporal?"

Gwinnith drew herself up in front of his desk, trembling slightly. "Aye Sair! Father calls for our aid. Grimm advance from the north lands and t' Clans are gathering for a fight. They need us, Sair." She set an open scroll on his desk, "Estimated numbers of Grimm are maire than double those of any warriors that he can hope to raise. T'is a most desperate situation, and without Hunter or Huntress to call on many may be lost."

Harper grimaced, judging the severity of the dilemma by how strong her accent had become. "Bad odds, then. How soon?"

"Twa days hence, na maire. He does plan t' meet them at the fortress of Dunn Trodden. Tis an ancient stone broc that's held w'out fail for as long as anyone remembers." She glanced at the screen again, "And the detectives wish you t' call as they have information."

Harper rose from his seat, "They'll have to wait until we get back. Officers Call, here in five! Alert the troops for immediate movement and get Willy in here as soon as you can. We'll have to fly if we want to get there in time."

Gwinnith snapped her heels together and saluted, "Aye Sair! We'll need twa trips if we're all t' go. Like flying in a great sardine can, t'will be!"

Harper nodded in return, bending to retrieve his own scroll, "And while you do that, I'll notify the Professor."

* * *

Morgana scrambled out of the car, rushing to catch up with the woman striding across the landing field. The summons from Harper had sent Goodwitch into a flurry of calls before the short drive to the base. The girl still didn't understand all of what was happening, but knew that this was not a time to make demands of her mentor. Hopefully Goodwitch would find time to explain in more detail before she had to leave.

Glynda swerved to one side to approach a small group of armed and armored men. Morgana recognized each by the teen standing next to them, worried faces upturned. The soldiers straightened as the Professor neared, right hands coming up in salute.

Glynda's riding crop touched her temple in reply. "Gentlemen! Please take the children to my car. I've made arrangements for Miss D'Ore to care for them while you're away." The group moved away, the men quietly offering thanks to her. Morgana decided it would be best to go with her friends rather than be left to chase behind the distracted woman.

The scene at the car made her doubt her decision, each pair moving to a different side to make their farewells. Standing at the front, she turned away and tried not to listen. Despite the attempt snatches of conversation reached her.

"… and don't forget to call your mother and let her know what happened, okay?"

"I will, but… please try not to get hurt this time!" Autumn asked, an anxious note in her voice.

"Suh? Y'all be right careful, please! Ah done heard 'bout whut yer goin' t' be facin', an' whut with losin' Ma and Paw… Ah jes' can't lose nobody else!" Oakley strained voice sounded close to tears.

"Don't you worry, son. Gundar and I'll be back before you know it. And when I get back, I'll…"

"You can stay at the apartment if you want to, you know." Isaac's voice sounded as strained as Oakley's.

"No. I'd rather not be alone while you guys are out there." Isaac's gasp made Morgana turn to see what was going on. A blush rose on her cheeks at the sight of Tuppence's arms wrapped around Isaac in a fierce hug. Overcoming his surprise, he wrapped his arms around her in return, awkwardly patting her back. "You better come back, or I'll never forgive you!" she told him before letting him loose.

"Gentlemen? It's time." Glynda's quiet announcement broke up the group, the men shooting last glances over their shoulders as they marched towards the waiting aircraft. A second, larger Bullhead swooped in to land next to Dragonslayer. As soon as the first group had climbed aboard it rose again to hover over a large cargo container. Once connected, it lifted up into the sky to begin the long flight northwards. Moments later Dragonslayer, turbines screaming, followed in its wake. They stood watching the gray hulls dwindling in the distance, eventually blending into the clouds.

"Where'd the second one come from?" Autumn asked Goodwitch.

Glynda sighed as she reached for the door handle. "Apparently Mister Rickenbacker's skill with cards has left several pilots in his debt."

Autumn grinned as she slid across the seat. "I guess someone forgot the rule."

Morgana slid in next to her, "What rule?"

"Never give a sucker an even break!"

* * *

Diamonda nodded affirmation at the face on her screen, "Yes Glynda," she said patiently, "I'll send word if I hear anything from the Colonel." One finger tapped the desktop, "And you had best hurry if you're going to catch your flight. General Ironwood did go through a lot of trouble to get it set up for you, you know?"

Goodwitch wrinkled her nose at the secretary, "And James is sure to remind me of that!" Her face returned to its normal composure, "Please check in with Hart, will you? I can't help but feel we're imposing on her to watch the children."

Diamonda gave an exasperated sigh, "Glynda! You know full well how she feels about them! Quit worrying about it and get along now. I'll call her tomorrow morning and see if she needs anything." She whisked a hand at the screen, "Now shoo! Let me get some work done here while you go play."

Glynda smiled fondly in return, "Thank you, Di. I'll see you in a few days." The picture faded into a display of the Beacon insignia.

Diamonda eyed the stack of paperwork on the corner of the desk. "If you think we're imposing on her now, wait until she hears about the new students!" she muttered.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey Colonel!" The boot tapping his foot woke Patrick from his nap, Gwinnith's voice rising above the drone of Dust powered jets. "Time to be aboot it, Sair!"

Grumbling under his breath he climbed to his feet and moved to the doorway. The valley they were flying through was narrow with high rock walls as Gwinnith had promised. Nothing that walked or crawled was going to come at them from those heights he decided. Unfortunately they wouldn't bar anything that flew. Looking ahead he spotted the fortress with its central keep. The short, thick cylinder looked as reassuringly solid as the stone of the cliffs that veered away from its position, broadening into a wider valley that split into two narrow gorges about a mile further up.

Satisfied, he walked forward to the bulkhead. Tapping the intercom, he asked the pilot if it would be possible to overfly the two valleys.

"No can do, Mister. I barely have enough fuel left to get to Argus as it is. So I'd really appreciate it if you and your boys get out pronto!" the pilot responded.

"Will do," Harper told him. "We appreciate your help getting here."

"Happy to help, Colonel. And you can tell ole Willy that I'm never playing cards with him again!"

"I'll do that." Harper replied with a chuckle. "Set the cargo down in the largest space you can find inside the walls and then drop us off outside, please."

"Roger that. Luck in battle, boy." Two sharp raps sounded from the metal wall.

Harper rapped once in reply, then turned to start preparing his group to offload as fast as possible. If they were quick and lucky then all would be set in place before the Grimm arrived.

* * *

The pilot was looking out his side window when his copilot urgently tapped him on the shoulder. "Captain? We've got trouble!" He turned to see the other man pointing directly ahead where white and red shapes were becoming noticeably larger, their abdomens curling upwards as chitinous wings sped up.

"Lancers! I'm taking over!" Grabbing the controls, he banked the craft to avoid the swarm spreading out ahead of them. Curse the luck! Ironwood had entrusted him to fly this VIP because of his excellent record, and now his skills were about to be tested to their limits. He clicked the intercom switch, "Ma'am? Please strap in immediately! We've got Grimm inbound." Thank goodness they'd already completed their journey over the water, but there wasn't a bit of cover he could use anywhere nearby and a small transport wasn't anywhere near as agile as a fighter. This was not going to be easy. "Lieutenant! Radio Argus and tell them our situation. Maybe they've got someone out this way that can help." As the younger man made his report the metal hull rattled, the first of the bony stingers striking a glancing blow. Swerving aside to avoid the first group, he blundered into a second.

The starboard wing jerked as its engine sucked one of the smaller insects in and exploded, ragged pieces of metal tearing into the cockpit. The pilot stared in horror at his dead copilot, not registering the loss of control until it was too late. The spin imparted by the remaining engine pushed him off to one side as he frantically reached for the switch on his headset.

At the Argus base, harried controllers were desperately trying to locate pilots to fly to the rescue when the radio came to life.

"Argus tower! VIP flight 126. Mayday, mayday! Under attack from Lancers. We're going d…" The frantic voice cut off mid syllable.

The officer in charge slammed a hand down onto the suddenly silent radio. "Dammit! Get those aircraft up, now!" he shouted at the people around him, "With any luck there may be survivors!" A woman seated nearby stared at the blank radar screen, her face white as chalk. Shivering with dread, she began issuing rapid orders into her headset's microphone.

The Captain turned to a soldier standing nearby, "Notify General Ironwood about this and tell him we're doing everything we can." The young man saluted before rushing out. With nothing else he could do, the officer turned to glare out the windows that faced to the southwest. Luck? There seemed to be a shortage of that particular item at the moment he mused.

* * *

Her day finally finished, Diamonda stepped out the door of the building. One hand dipped into her bag to retrieve the car keys just as an explosion ripped through the windows of the Council chamber on the top floor. Covering her head, she darted back into the doorway, pressing herself to the wall as rubble fell to the street below.

She flinched again as a second, larger explosion occurred several blocks away in the direction of the SDF compound. A third sounded from somewhere further off, echoing off the buildings around her. A whimper of fear escaped her lips as she realized what had just happened.

The Council! Leonidas has called a meeting for this evening!

Once the debris stopped falling she stepped cautiously from cover, looking up at the jagged rent torn in the side of the building. Shaking with shock and anger, her hand dipped into the bag again to retrieve the small pistol she'd carried since being hired by Glynda. Lifting its reassuring weight, she darted back into the building and began climbing the steps, hoping that someone had survived the attack while trying to think of who might be responsible.

"White Fang's gone and Salem with them! Who's left?" she asked herself, kicking aside the remains of a door blocking her way. She stopped for a moment on the last landing as the full situation hit her. "Oh shit! Glynda! The troops! Nobody's here! What am I gonna do?!" she wailed helplessly as sirens began to rise in the distance.

* * *

A/N: When it hits the fan, everyone gets splattered.

Salem is gone, and Cinder, and Adam Taurus. Neo's on the run from a vengeful pair of Huntresses.

Sooo…? Who's left that would go through the trouble to remove all authority from Vale? Perhaps more importantly… why?

Buckle up boys and girls, this is just the beginning.

The song/poem that Aed was reading is 'March of the Cambreadth' by Heather Alexander. I heard it late one night and the whole scene just appeared in my mind. I highly recommend listening to music from around the world for inspiration. There are some tunes from the other side of both oceans that are currently giving me chapter ideas lately.

And thanks to the BBC for their instructive video on the Broc's of Scotland. Fascinating stuff.

As always; I do not own RWBY, only those characters and situations that I create (and do horrible things to).

Keep writing!

Vindictious


	20. Chapter 20

HART-TNG

Chapter 20

A break from school is supposed to be a time for resting up and having some fun. Right? Sleeping in, late breakfasts, everything you've been missing during the school year. That's the ticket!

Unless you're a Faunus Huntress/Teacher who's suddenly been saddled with four kids, that is.

* * *

Tuppence shot upright in the bed as music began to blare from somewhere outside the house.

"What in the world…?" she asked the empty room as the accordion was joined by multiple voices singing something she couldn't quite make out. Noting the three empty bedrolls on the floor, she grimaced in distaste. "Thanks guys! Obviously you all remembered something from Hath's class about being sneaky!" Part of the snarkiness was her discomfort at not hearing any movement earlier. Even Morgana had managed to not register in her electronic ears during the powered down state that passed for sleep.

Persimmon was gulping down a last pancake when Tuppence walked into the dining room. "Well sleepyhead, did'ja decide ta join us?" he asked in a voice somewhere between sweet and sarcastic.

"I was just waiting for you to finish stuffing your face, really. Crumbs spewing everywhere just aren't my cup of tea," she answered with a saccharine smile of her own. "What's up with the noise?" she asked, inclining her head towards the back door.

Wiping his face with as much grace as he could muster before answering, Persimmon shrugged. "Dunno. Ever'body else went out a bit ago with a couple a' Miz Dore's practice swords. Guess she had sumthin' planned fer 'em." He dropped the napkin on his plate, "Lets us go see."

Morgana was sitting on the porch steps, clapping her hands in time with the music emitted by the scroll next to her when they came out. Oakley stepped to the edge of the walkway, his eyes on the two in the field. "Cool! Ah nevah saw 'em doin' thet afore," he said as Tuppence leaned against a post.

Autumn and Hart were dancing together in the grass, the long sabers swinging in vertical circles around their bodies. Sunlight sparkled off the metal as they faced each other, shoulders rotating as they swung the weapons in a figure eight before tossing them across to the other. The dance continued, the newly caught blades swinging up to rest across their shoulders. Like a living clockwork they spun in opposite circles, free arms outstretched only to resume the vertical circling once they had faced about.

"Dang! Autumn sure is havin' her some fun, ain't she?"

Tuppence nodded agreement. "They both are. I haven't seen smiles like that since her birthday."

Both swords swung upright behind their backs as the duo bowed to each other, the music ending just as their heads became level. Autumn's smile widened as the three watchers applauded. Hart winked at her, "I think they liked it," she told her goddaughter.

Oakley shook his head as the two ambled up to the porch. "Where'd y'all learn t' do thet there stuff?"

Hart pointed to the girl next to her, "Her mom."

Autumn nodded. "Yeah! You should see her when she does it with Sunset. She can split it into two swords and it's awesome!"

Hart's scroll chose that moment to start ringing. Stepping away from the excited conversation, she raised it to her ear, "Good morning Diamonda."

Tuppence was the first to note the rising pitch of their teacher's voice. She raised a hand to shush the others, her eyes on the woman as Hart clutched her scroll with white knuckles.

"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can." Hart paused for a moment as she turned around to face her students, "Hang on… there's a problem. What about the kids? I can't just leave them here if there's a chance whoever did this is still around! I'll have to bring them with me." She paused, nodding unconsciously at the response, "Okay. I'll be there as fast as I can." Snapping the scroll shut, she marched purposefully towards the waiting teens. "Listen up! Grab your armor and weapons. Something bad happened in town last night and Diamonda needs help. I promised to watch you four, so you'll have to come along. Now get moving!"

The last year had trained them not to ask questions when she used that tone of voice, so the teens rushed into the house without a second thought.

In the bedroom, Autumn stood straight as Morgana and Oakley held her front and back armor in place. "Any ideas?" she asked.

Morgana shook her head as the pieces connected with an audible snap. "The Professor didn't seem worried before she left. I mean, she wouldn't have gone if there was going to be a problem, would she?"

"Nope!" Persimmon gave a nod of agreement, "None of 'em would 'a left if they'd knowed sumpin' was up." He looked thoughtfully out the window, "Less'n it were 'nuther Fall!" Snatching up his axe, he snapped it onto the back of his vest.

"Can't be," Tuppence told him, nervously opening and closing her parasol, "If it is, then where are all the Grimm?"

Autumn listened to her teammates a moment longer before looking towards the door. What would Mom and Dad do?

She smacked her hands together, cutting off the speculations. "Guys! No more guessing. Let's just go find out!" That said, she dashed through the bedroom door without waiting for an answer.

"Come on then!" Tuppence herded the others out, "She's got the right idea."

"Ah gotta bad feelin' bout this!" Persimmon muttered as he followed the girls.

* * *

His circuit of the wall finished, Harper stopped next to Aed. The two men stood in companionable silence for a few moments, enjoying play of colors in the western sky as the sun set. The walking had given him time to clear his mind without having his sometimes overprotective aide Gwinnith shadowing his every move. Letting her oversee the myriad tasks that had to be accomplished after their arrival was, he thought to himself, one of his better ideas. The extra weapons and ammunition they'd brought with them had been distributed to those clan people who had none of their own. The automatic sentry guns had been emplaced on the south wall to guard their rear, and his own forces had been shown around the fortress while the two leaders conferred on defensive strategies.

He was a little happier after discovering the defenses the Clans had available. In addition to high walls with interior walkways, two small cannons had been placed on the walls at the east and west corners, facing the valley to the north. A third was currently being brought from where it had been stored in an outbuilding on the far side of the tower. Ammunition for the artillery was far lower than he'd hoped for when he first saw them, the two guns having no more than four shells each and the last only one. He still had trouble understanding the claims of the man who owned the missing piece, his mind refusing to translate what was meant by a 'braw grand gonne'.

The mystery was solved when a gray metal snout appeared from behind the central tower.

"Aed? Tell me this is a joke! That damned thing is an antique!" The barrel of the cannon creaking across the courtyard was wide enough for a man to stick his head into, and the wheels were wooden spokes with metal rims. Ungreased axles squealed in protest as four men heaved on the attached ropes.

"Dinna worry, Patrick. McGonnigal himself did promise t'would do the job, an' he's not daft enough t' lie t' his Chieftain," Aed assured him. "Who's yer lad there with them?"

"The only one I've got with artillery experience, Sergeant Lee. We should get some good results from the other two with him in charge, but I don't know about that last one. I can't help but think it's going to explode at any minute!" The armored figure following the cannon around the building broke into a trot, heading for where they stood. "Looks like he's finally ready to report. Let's see what he's got to say."

They met the NCO at the head of the ramp, Harper noting the worried expression on the younger man's face as he accepted the salute. "Let's hear it, Sergeant."

Lee shifted uncomfortably. "Suh, ah have found a problem with the last cannon. Rathuh, suh, ah should say with the ammunition." He turned to Aed, "Suh, may ah ask if you have any knowledge of this gun?"

Aed shrugged, "Well naow, ah know that it's summat old. McGonnigal's father brought it back from t' Great War, having taken it from the Mantle army after the capturin' o' their camp." He paused for a moment, suddenly remembering where his audience hailed from, "No offense, gentlemen," he added hastily, "but he nivver said t'was anything more than just another gun, yeh ken?"

"Hang on, Lee. What's wrong with the ammunition?" Harper asked.

"Suh," Lee gave the Colonel a look of distress, "Ah beg to report that ah have found a WMD."

"A what?" Aed's eyes darted back and forth between the two men, "What t' bloody hell's a WMD?"

Harper held up a hand to forestall the outburst. "You're sure, Lee?"

"Ah am, Suh. Ah do truly wish ah were not. It is most cehtainly a Hephaestus device."

Harper pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping he would suddenly wake up in bed and not have to deal with the news. "Aed, it's a weapon of mass destruction. Something that was banned by the treaty between the four kingdoms because it's just too damn dangerous. Whole battalions could be wiped out by just one of them. In a gun that old… the damned thing might just kill us all as well!" He looked up into the sky, seeking inspiration, "I'm too old for this crap!"

Seeing the confusion on the Chieftain's face, Lee broke in. "Suh! If we chose to use this… item, we would be in breach of the treaty. If any of the four kingdoms learned of it, the one who committed the act would most likely face a death penalty in a court of law." He turned back to Harper, "Suh? If the estimates auh indeed correct, ah do not fo'esee a victory fo' us without using it. Theahfo'…" he snapped to attention and saluted, "ah see only one choice in the matteh at hand, Suh."

Harper returned the salute, his own face betraying the unhappiness he felt. "You know I can't order you to do it, Lee."

"Ah do, Suh. Ah will take the responsibility unto mahself."

Aed held out his hand to the man, "Laddie, yer a brave man…" He said solemnly, "… an' this conversation nivver happened!" The accompanying wink startled Lee.

"Suh?"

Harper choked as he grasped the way out of the dilemma that Aed offered them. "Y'know how it is with us old guys, Lee," he finally managed, sticking a finger in his ears and wiggling it about, "our hearing isn't very good anymore!"

The Sergeant looked at the two of them in disbelief. "You gentlemen do understand that the fah end of the valley will be altered to a point wheah nothing will grow in the future, do you not?"

Aed pulled him closer, "Laddie, nothin' grows there now that matters maire than mah kith 'n kin, and if it means an end t' the bastards… well… the maire y' kill, the better!" he growled. "Tis none o' mah own t'will be looking for a lawyer afterwards!"

Harper inspected his finger, seemingly ignoring the conversation. "Lee?"

"Suh?"

"When the time comes, just shoot the damn thing! Alright?"

As the relieved artilleryman trotted down the ramp, an indignant Aed confronted Harper. "Naow then, Colonel Harper. Just who t'hell are yeh callin' 'auld' then!" he asked, gray beard bristling.

Around the wall preparations paused, puzzled faces turning towards the laughter coming from where the two leaders stood.

* * *

(Why is it so dark? Did I fall asleep? Who's making that noise?)

"Dew! I thought you said it would be a soft landing!"

"It was the best I could do! Whirlwinds aren't precision tools, y'know? At least it's in one piece… pretty much."

"Nebula! The pilot said there's a passenger in the back, but he passed out before saying who it was."

( Go away. I'm tired. So… tired.)

"Alright ladies, it looks like there's no other way in other than cutting so stand back."

"But what if they're in the way?"

"If you have a better idea Gwen, I'd love to hear it. This is the only spot we can make a hole, so let's just hope they're somewhere else in there."

(What are you children doing? You could hurt someone with that! Put it away this instant and stop making that racket!)

"Okay, that should do it. All together now… One… Two… Heave!"

(Who are you?)

"Ohmigosh Nebula! It's Goodwitch, and she doesn't look good at all!"

* * *

The policeman returned the Huntress her identification and saluted. "Sorry for the inconvenience Ma'am. She's waiting for you in the Professor's office."

Hart slid the wallet into a pocket, and nodded. "I understand, Officer. Come along, children."

Persimmon craned his neck, looking up at the gaping hole in the building. "Hooee! Lookit thet!"

"Oakley!" His head snapped back to level at Hart's growl, "We're not here to sightsee, get inside!"

Following their teacher the four filed into the secretary's office where Diamonda and two strangers were waiting, an old man whose hair still showed traces of orange, and a younger woman in a trench coat.

Pointing the children towards the couch, the Huntress stopped in front of the desk and gazed levelly at Diamonda's strained face. "Okay, I'm here. What's the damage?" she asked tersely.

"Most of the Council, the upper echelon of the Police, and every officer for the Self Defense Force," the old man told her.

She turned to face the two strangers, "And you would be…?"

He held out a hand to her, "Johan Green, temporary Chief of Police," he nodded to the woman standing next to him, "This is Detective Leaphorn, currently the only detective we have left."

"Only until my partner gets back on his feet," the woman amended, stretching out her own hand for Hart to shake.

"Wait a minute! Temporary Chief?" Hart asked.

He grimaced, "Yeah. I retired right after The Fall, but my replacement was in the office when the bombs went off." He waited a beat for her to assimilate that information before continuing. "Bombs which took out every bit of civil authority in the city in the space of a minute. Which is where you come in, Miss D'Ore."

"Hart, Professor Goodwitch is missing," Diamonda said softly, dabbing her reddened eyes with a tissue. "General Ironwood called this morning with the news. Her aircraft was attacked by Grimm on the way to Argus for a meeting." Soft sobbing started from behind the adults as she continued, "He sent some people to look for her, but hasn't called back yet with any news."

The students seated on the couch huddled together, arms tight around Morgana as tears rolled down the girl's face.

Hart leaned over the desk and took the older woman's hands in her own, "You know I'll help any way I can."

Green cleared his throat, "I'm glad to hear that, Miss D'Ore. Right now you're the only one who can find the people responsible for all this."

Hart turned her head without straightening, "What do you mean? Why don't the police do it?"

"Because they aren't in the city anymore!" Leaphorn answered angrily. "We know they left two days ago and headed in the direction of Cold Harbor." She shook off Green's restraining hand, "We don't have authority outside the City, only the Huntsmen do!"

Hart looked at her, perplexed, "So, just send a Huntsman after them."

Green's lips thinned, "We would… if there were any in Vale right now," he told her. "Somebody flooded the city with lucrative contracts from widely separated villages around the kingdom last week, so they're all gone. Chances are, this will turn out to be a massive wild goose chase for them, but it leaves us with only one Huntress available."

Hart looked at him in disbelief before turning back to the secretary, "But… what am I supposed to do with the kids? Who do I leave them with? I can't just run off like that!"

Diamonda inhaled sharply, straightening herself in the chair, "You'll have to take them with you." She wilted slightly as Hart stared at her in shock. "Look! We know 'who' and 'how', but we don't know 'why'! Those two have the answer and right now the Chief and I are trying to keep this city from flying apart!" She waved a hand at the window, "People are starting to panic, Hart! Anyone we could trust to watch the kids is somewhere else right now! If you don't go, then we lose the only chance we have of finding out what else they have planned before it gets any worse!"

"Aunt Hart?" The Faunus woman turned to the girl standing at her shoulder. "There's no other choice. We can't let more people get hurt if we can help it," Autumn told her. "We gotta defend them, just like you taught us."

"But honey, what'll I tell your parents if something happens?" Hart asked softly.

Persimmon appeared next to the girl, his arms crossed on his chest, "Yew kin tell ol' Hath and Mistah Teerson thet ah done went down fight'n, jes lahk they would!" he said defiantly. Ain't neither o' them gonna ask more."

Tuppence joined them, laying a supportive hand on the boy's shoulder. "Miss D'Ore, we may have only started our training, but I think we've learned enough to defend ourselves if we need to. We can leave any fighting to you and keep ourselves safe."

Hart looked past them to where her last charge sat rocking back and forth on the couch. "Morgana?"

"If they were the ones who hurt Miss Goodwitch, then I want to find them!" the girl replied coldly.

Overwhelmed by the display, Green looked down at the floor. "God of Light," he whispered, "thank you for the gift of children such as these. Their courage shames me for doubting." The old man stiffened as a hand settled on his back.

"Yeah, likewise!" Leaphorn muttered in his ear.

Torn between the two conflicting duties, Hart looked back at Diamonda. "Fine! We'll go. But I have to get some supplies together before we can leave."

Green coughed into his fist, "I…ah… took the liberty of preparing five packs of supplies after Diamonda told us about you. They should already be at your car by now," he explained, handing over a sheet of paper. "This is everything we could find out about the perpetrators, their descriptions as well as the vehicle they used. There's a map of the probable route they took to Cold Harbor on the back."

Hart tucked it into her belt pouch, nodding her thanks. "I'll keep in touch as much as possible. Let us know if you hear anything from anybody." She turned to gather up her charges, "Let's get this done and get back home in one piece!"

* * *

The radio operator was having a hard time concentrating with a General breathing down her neck. Clamping the headset tight against her ears, she struggled to ignore her and the others gathered around the room.

The tall white haired woman finally moved away as another officer called her over.

"General Schnee! There's an aircraft inbound, the pilot claims he's from Vale and is requesting refueling from Argus." The Captain glanced at the scroll in his hand, "He says he's with the Ninety-Fifth Rifles."

Winter took the screen from his unresisting hand. "General Ironwood has already sent them word about this incident. Perhaps this is a representative?" She handed the scroll back, "Very well. Allow him to land and refuel, I'll take the responsibility. Tell him to park in the visitor's area and that I will meet him there shortly."

"Ma'am? They've found 126!"

The radio operator's excited shout drew Winter back to stand next to the chair. "Report!" she barked, trying to conceal her own nervousness. If anything had happened to the VIP, she wanted the details for her own report to Ironwood.

One hand on the headset, the woman looked up. "Avenger Six is orbiting the site now, Two and Five are dealing with a Lancer nest nearby. He says the aircraft is a total loss, but there are people waving at him from the ground. It looks like six survivors."

Winter's brow wrinkled in thought. "How can there be six? Only three people were supposed to be on that flight! Ask him to confirm the number."

A moment later she had the answer. "Ma'am? Avenger Six says he just did a low pass. Apparently only four of them are mobile. Two are on the ground and may be casualties."

Not one to hesitate, Winter turned to the officer in charge. "Captain! Expedite the refueling of the Vale aircraft and detail two soldiers to accompany me. I'm going out there!"

The man saluted, "Ma'am? What do I tell General Ironwood?"

"Tell him that, whatever shape she's in, I'm bringing Goodwitch back with me!" she said, shouldering him aside in her haste. "And tell those pilots to protect the survivors at all costs!"

The Captain turned to a heavyset man standing nearby, "Sergeant! You and one other go with her!" he barked, "Take a medic with you, just in case," he added.

* * *

A/N:

Duty can be a heavy burden to bear, as Hart well knows. Keeping four teenagers out of trouble while chasing down terrorists might be more than she can handle.

Meanwhile, the combined forces of Clans and Troopers are as ready as they can be despite unexpected problems. Only time will tell if they can win against the odds again.

And our fair Professor?

We'll see…

Keep writing!

Vindictious


End file.
